Monster World (Johnsonverse)
Monster World is a multimedia franchise produced by the Western Broadcasting Company (WBC). It is a crossover of Godzilla (predating the Johnson Aligned Universe), the works of H.P. Lovecraft (specifically the Cthulhu Mythos deities), and even Neon Genesis Evangelion. The TV series premiered in 1998 and ended in 2004 after a six season run, with a movie in 2006, and another following in 2015 followed by a revival of the TV series. Much of the voice cast reprised their respective roles from Evangelion. The series a sequel for both NGE and the Godzilla Heisei series. Monster World is now on Fanfiction.net! Production The original concept that evolved into the final product was first conceived in 1996, shortly after production on Neon Genesis Evangelion wrapped up. Hideaki Anno, questioning his own sanity and mental state when writing the ending, began writing End of Evangelion as the full version of the final two episodes, which were infamously made using stock footage, limited animation, and voice-overs because the budget had been blown on the Eva fights. He did not, however, intend for EoE to be the canon ending. Instead, Anno wrote up a sequel series with the working title Evangelion R. The series was intended to take place after Third Impact, with the entire cast being resurrected and fighting an alien invasion. This series was to be much more light-hearted than the first, involving quite a bit of comedy, including topics such as school, relationships, and especially politics (one of the major themes of the series would be an examination of the Japanese economic climate). During brainstorming sessions, there is an urban legend that there were loud arguments over whether Shinji should end up with Rei or Asuka, as well as how much torture Gendo should be subjected to, and whether or not Asuka should continued being a tsundere. Ultimately, these would be the only topics discussed during most of these sessions. Eventually, though, after the release of EoE, Gainax stated they wanted no more to do with Evangelion, and moved on to FLCL, which was used as an anti-depressant due to the madcap nature of the latter. Anno was then told they would not go through with Evangelion R. Disappointed but undeterred, Anno took his business elsewhere. Immediately, Anno began rethinking the series. In October 1996, Anno was approached by Toho to write a new tokusatsu series tentatively titled Monster Nation. Originally intended to contain all-original monsters, Godzilla was eventually added when it was sensed the Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's reboot, slated to be released the next year, would crap on the Godzilla name, especially after Toho received concept art of the American Godzilla (which was later legally renamed Zilla, a name that actually originated in Monster World). Anno saw the series as a chance to rebound after Gainax rejected Evangelion R. Anno created an outline combining Evangelion R and Monster Nation, calling it Evangelion x Godzilla, but it was only for fun. However, when a Toho executive saw the premise, he was extremely impressed and presented it to director Takao Okawara. Several days later, Toho announced it would be retooling Monster Nation into a new series called Monster World, a crossover between Neon Genesis Evangelion and Godzilla. However, the creative team was torn as to which method to use: whether to have use live-actors and suitmation, or full animation. In December 1996, Toho approached two other studios to assist: Toei Animation and Johnson Studios. Toho had decided to use a hybrid approach, with animation for the human cast and indoor scenes, and suitmation and miniature sets for the monsters, a method first used by Tsuburaya Productions for Dinosaur Great War Izenborg in 1977. The original set-up was as so: *Toho would provide suits and effects consulting *Toei Animation would do the human characters and interior scenes *Johnson Studios would do all the monster scenes *Hideaki Anno would do episode outlines Three suits (MogeGoji, SoshingekiAngira, and HeiseiGhido) were sent to Johnson Studios in October 1996 for the Godzilla sequence in the 1997 blockbuster EarthBound, and were retained after filming for Monster World. Upon the success of EarthBound, the set-up was changed. Anno's role was reduced to consultant when Johnson brought in its own writers. The premise of Monster World was expanded in June 1997, replacing the aliens as the main antagonist. Instead, Cthulhu was made the new main antagonist, voiced by British voice actor Tony Jay. Filming for the series began in earnest in August 1997. Large, elaborate sets of multiple cities, including Tokyo, Los Angeles, Seattle, Beijing, Cape Town, Osaka, and Fukuoka were built, many of which were so large, the soundstages couldn't fit them, and they had to be taken to decommissioned hangars at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, California. The Tokyo set was the largest, and could not fit into a hangar; instead, it was put in an outdoor environment near Fresno, California, which allowed for natural lighting and weather. Toho began sending over more suits in this timeframe, including the SpaceGodzilla, Destoroyah, MechaGodzilla, MOGUERA, Mothra, Battra, Biollante, and Mecha-King Ghidorah. Since HeiseiRado (the Heisei Rodan design) wasn't a suit, but rather, a puppet, Johnson created a larger, wearable version of HeiseiRado. Johnson also created new suits for the monsters also slated to appear, oftentimes replicas of older suits and puppets, such as King Caesar, Gigan, Megalon, Jet Jaguar, the original MechaGodzilla and Mogera, Kamacuras, Kumonga, Ebirah, King Kong, Gorosaurus, Kamoebas, Gezora, Ganimes, and Gabara. At least 25 Titanosaurus suits were built, as the character was to be portrayed as a species numbering in the thousands. Baragon and Varan both received brand-new designs that were eventually adopted by Toho. And finally, suits for the Evas themselves were built, as well. For the voice cast, much of the AD Vision cast returned for the English version. Among the returnees were Spike Spencer, Tiffany Grant, Amanda Winn Lee, Allison Keith, Kurt Stoll, Carol Amerson, Kendra Benham, Sue Ulu, Matt Greenfield, and Jason C. Lee. Several actors were replaced, though; for example, voice-acting veteran Tom Kane replaced Tristan MacAvery as Gendo, Fuyutsuki was voiced by John Cleese of Monty Python, and Kaji by Michael McConnohie. Animation was done at Johnson Studios with animators from Toei, in order to consolidate production. Plot God (voiced by and modeled after Sir Patrick Stewart) intervenes just before Third Impact, redeems all of the Angels, casts SEELE into Hell, and restores the Earth to before the Angels appeared. Quite mysteriously, though, the Evas are still extent, and the Geofront is all that remains of Tokyo-3. God reveals that all of the Angels had been seduced with the promise of great power and wealth by Satan if they destroyed Earth, and Satan has been put in his place. Three months later, things are looking up for humanity. The economy is booming, the term "third-world country" becomes extinct, peace reigns among the nations, and three moonbases are under construction (one by NASA, another by JAXA, and the third by ESA). NERV still exists as the weapons research division and peacekeeping army of the United Nations. Their researchers have developed laser-based weaponry once thought only possible in science-fiction, and have also improved the Eva designs, installing ankle-mounted jets allowing flight, chest-mounted missile tubes allowing N2 Missiles to be launched, and Anti-Berserk Restraining Bolts, preventing Units-01 and 02 from going berserk. The development of next-gen Evas has also started, with designs for Units-04 and 05 on the table. What's more, all NERV staff have undergone drastic therapy. Gendo is now a better father who would never force Shinji to pilot Unit-01 against his will. Not that this would be a problem, since Shinji is now an upfront, brave, more confrontational person who willingly pilots his Eva into battle. Rei has stopped being drugged to suppress her emotions, and it has been revealed there never were any clones in the first place. The cloning explanation was a cover up for NERV's advanced medical technologies. As a result of the druggings ceasing, she is slowly but surely showing more and more emotion, revealing some nasty habits such as burping loudly, laughing at violence, and having an obsession with Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and FLCL. Asuka is now a kind, sensitive, selfless girl and also Shinji's best friend and love interest. Misato is no longer a drunkard, and Ritsuko is something of a mad scientist. Life is great...until a new threat shows up. A giant monster named Cthulhu appears in Tokyo while Shinji and Asuka are heading from school to catch their train to NERV HQ. The Evas fight a losing battle until a band of kaiju led by the legendary Godzilla appears and send Cthulhu packing, causing him great physical injury. Cthulhu raises a hell army to destroy the Earth and accomplish what the Angels couldn't. Later, a monster named Gigan appears. Initially thought to be one of Cthulhu's minions, detective work by Shinji reveals the difference in genetic make-up between one of Cthulhu's minions and Gigan, revealing Gigan to be an alien monster. This is followed closely by the invasion of an alien race known as the Invadors. Fighting a two-front war won't be easy. With aliens above and Cthulhu below, not to mention an army of kaiju collectively known as the Mutant Horde and led by a resurrected SpaceGodzilla, NERV has its work cut out. But Godzilla (the son of the Heisei Godzilla) is humanity's champion, and with his allies, the Earth Defenders, both Cthulhu and the Invadors won't have it so easy. NERV isn't alone. The UN's anti-kaiju division, the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasure Center (UNGCC), is reactivated and renamed the Earth Defense Force (EDF), with MOGUERA, MechaGodzilla 2, and Mecha-King Ghidorah rebuilt, as well as a new anti-kaiju robot, Jet Jaguar, is built based on the Jet Alone design. Later, they build a new mech named Kiryu (codename MechaGodzilla 3). Characters Monster World has a diverse cast of humans, monsters, and aliens. NERV NERV is the anti-Cthulhu branch and weapons research division of the United Nations. Their main fighting force is Alpha Squad, comprised of the original three Evas from the Angel Crisis. Two other Evas were built and became back-ups for Units-01 and 02, as well as forming the later Beta Squad during the German Civil War. *'Shinji Ikari' (Spike Spencer) - The main protagonist, and the leader of Alpha Squad. Before therapy, he was rather fearful, not one for direct conflict, and would rather isolate himself from the rest of the world with his SDAT (a precursor to Apple's iPod) than face his problems. After therapy, though, Shinji became an upfront, confrontational person, while still being friendly, outgoing, and brave, though his repressed anger from the Angel Crisis still surfaces with startling frequency. After the Cthulhu Wars, he evolved into a warm, caring individual. In addition to being NERV's top pilot, Shinji is also one of the world's greatest chefs, rivalling even Gordon Ramsay. His catchphrase is "You diarrhea gargling crap sponge!" (with "crap" changed to "cum" in home video releases and Toonami airings; "cum" was actually censored out of the TV versions by the FCC). He has full faith in Godzilla, and believes he is one of the keys to humanity's victory. Shinji is the pilot of Unit-01, with his weapon of choice being a bolt-action blaster. *'Asuka Langley Sohryu' (Tiffany Grant) - The deuteragonist, and Shinji's second-in-command, as well as his best friend, love interest, and later girlfriend. Before therapy, she was a perpetually angry tsundere who just always had to be the center of attention and the best at anything. This led to major clashes with Shinji, many times ending in Shinji being physically assaulted and/or yelled at, sometimes without provokation. This, however, was nothing more than a false front to hide her extreme insecurities and inferiority complex, believing that she would be hurt if she became close to someone. So, she reasoned, she would avoid being hurt by being a bitch 24/7, thus making everyone around her keep their distance. Following therapy, Asuka became a kind, sweet girl who still has episodes of anger, but never directed at Shinji. If anything, they're directed at anyone who hurts or even insults Shinji. She even looks back on her old personality with much shame and guilt, and when meeting her old self via time travel in one episode, she became wracked with guilt as the old Asuka pressured her into yelling at Shinji, which she did not crack under and instead threw a punch at her past self. Her shame is so great that she even restyled her hair (from barely-visible twin pigtails to what basically amounts to a redheaded Sailor Venus, bow and all). As a native of Germany, Asuka is very proud of her heritage (though very ashamed of Hitler, the Nazi Party, the Holocaust, and World War II as a whole), and was under alot of stress during the German Civil War. Her old catchphrase, the immortal words "What are you, stupid?!", has been replaced by "Holy crap on a crap sandwich!", sometimes with "with a side of crap!" added on. Asuka is the pilot of Unit-02, with her weapon of choice being an automatic blaster rifle. *'Rei Ayanami-Ikari' (Amanda Winn Lee 1998-2004; Michelle Ruff 2005-onward, also redubbed prior episodes) - The tritagonist and comic relief. Once thought to be an emotionless girl with "a lousy personality", as Toji once put it, it turned out she was drugged on a regular basis. This drug suppressed her personality to make her an efficient pilot. Rei didn't even need any therapy; Gendo simply gave the order to stop the druggings. It was at this time that Rei was revealed to not be a clone of Shinji's mother and Gendo's wife, Yui, but rather, Shinji's fraternal twin sister.. After the druggings ceased, Rei slowly began showing more personality, including some strange habits such as burping loudly, laughing at violence, eating loudly, having a fixation with looting during a crisis, and having obsessions with Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and FLCL. Eventually, she became a loving and supportive sister towards Shinji, though still very off-kilter and prone to bouts of slapstick abuse courtesy of Hikari. Rei pilots Unit-00, and her weapon of choice varies between a minigun or a sword. *'Gendo Ikari' (Tom Kane) - The head of NERV and the commander of NERV's conventional forces. Gendo was once an abusive parent perfectly willing to manipulate people to further SEELE's agenda so he could be reunited with his deceased wife Yui, but after his mind was rewired by God himself when he pulled a gun on the therapist, Gendo became a much more kindly, if also bumbling, father. Gendo's first priority is now the safety of his charges and the completion of the mission. *'Misato Katsuragi' (Allison Keith) - Tactical Commander of Alpha Squad. She was once a study in contrasts and the guardian and personal tutor of Shinji and Asuka. She was described as a woman of action and a hero. But at home, she was just a beer-guzzling bad chef who wore skimpy clothing and hung out with a genetically enhanced penguin. After therapy, she is now a competent leader who isn't a broken child on the inside and has benefited from going to Alchoholics Anonymous, but is still very much one of the kids. *'Dr. Ritsuko Akagi' (Sue Ulu 1998-2014; Colleen Clinkenbeard 2015-ownard) - Head scientist at NERV. She was once a callous and petty person perfectly willing to sacrifice pilots, a stance vehemently opposed by Misato. She was also convinced Gendo loved her, and Rei was her rival for his love. After God and Gaia's intervention, she...wasn't very different. Despite no longer being in love with Gendo and now having reached an understanding with Rei and Misato, Ritsuko's sanity continued to slip for mysterious reasons until she pressured Shinji to launch an N2 Missile at Glaaki during a period of immense tension between the United States and Russia. Not wanting to start World War III and destroy the Northern Hemisphere, and with NERV staff yelling not to do it and Asuka loudly arguing with Ritsuko (plus Rei hurling some pretty hard-hitting insults), Shinji instead fired on Ritsuko's laboratory, killing her and her scientists. Later, Shinji and Asuka were abducted and it was revealed that Ritsuko had rebuilt her ravaged body with cybernetic parts, vowing to execute the two for killing her. Fortunately, the timely arrival of Gendo and Misato with a detatchment of troops stopped the ex-scientist and saw Ritsuko killed once and for all. But she kept returning to haunt NERV with a Cyberman army, leading to BBC's copyright team to try and sue her for stealing from Doctor Who. In the 2015 revival, it was revealed that it was her who resurrected SpaceGodzilla, and that she was the true leader of the Mutant Horde. *'Doctor Kozo Fuyutsuki' (John Cleese 1998-2014, 2017-present; John Hurt 2015-2017) - Deputy Commander of NERV and Gendo's right-hand man. He is a moral man who has had reservations about Gendo's plots. This morality continues into the Cthulhu Wars. *'Ryoji Kaji' (Michael McConnohie) - Head of the NERV Weapons Research Division. Kaji can be described as a big manchild, half-James Bond, half-Handsome Lech. A ladies man, Kaji once dated Misato in college before they broke up. He was the object of an unhealthy crush on Asuka's part, before therapy when Asuka turned her affections to Shinji. Kaji remains an important lynchpin in NERV's weapon development, having developed the Evas' ankle-mounted jets, among other enhancements. *'Maya Ibuki' (Kendra Benham 1998-2014; Bridget Hoffman 2015-onward) - Ritsuko's assistant who was in love with her until she realized that Ritsuko was slowly losing her sanity. After Ritsuko's betrayal, she lost all respect for her and is now in charge of a task force to locate and kill Ritsuko. She is also head of NERV's merchandise department. *'Makoto Hyuga '(Matt Greenfield) - Misato's chief aide and member of the Tactical Operations division. He is in love with Misato, but is too shy to approach her. Misato knows this and often uses this to manipulate him, with comic results. He also has a bad habit of reading manga during work hours. *'Shigeru Aoba' (Jason C. Lee) - A member of Tactical Operations. He is a guitar-playing, long-haired "totally cool dude" who often clashes with Rei because of this. *'Kensuke Aida' (Kurt Stoll) - A friend of Shinji's at school. He is a technerd who regularly geeks out over anything technological. He once tried to decode the remains of the MAGI Supercomputer. Later on, he joined NERV and became the new pilot of Unit-03 replacing the crippled Toji. He considers being a pilot a dream come true, and it shows in his skills, as he was able to figure out a new integrated weapon system before anyone else. He is the leader of Beta Squad. *'Hikari Horaki' (Carol Amerson 1998-2014; Caitlin Glass 2015-onward) - The class representative of Shinji, Asuka, and Rei's class and Asuka's other best friend (though they have slowly been drifting apart as Asuka spends more and more time with Shinji). She is a no-nonsense girl who is kind to everyone. Yet Toji is that good at getting under her skin. She once had a crush on Toji, then Shinji, and was devastated when Shinji and Asuka got together. She also has a love-hate relationship with Rei, often inflicting slapstick abuse on her to keep her in line whenever she flies off the handle or hatches an insane scheme. Hikari later joined NERV and became the pilot of Unit-04B. She is a member of Beta Squad. *'Toji Suzuhara' (Brett Weaver) - Former pilot of Unit-03, Toji was mentioned many times in the series, but only made his first onscreen appearance in Season 9. After NERV medical technology gave him back his ability to walk, he rejoined the Eva Pilot Corp., now piloting the new Unit-08. During the Angels Crisis, Toji was a stereotypical macho man, always getting on Hikari's nerves, yet Hikari always crushed on him. After he returned, Hikari's repressed feelings for him resurfaced. * Mari Makinami (Trina Nishamura) - A new Eva pilot who debuted in the post-credits scene of the 2015 film. She debuted in the first episode of the eighth season, serving as the third member of Beta Squadron and a major annoyance towards Shinji and Asuka. During the course of the eighth season, Mari became romantically involved with Rei, making them WBCs fourth lesbian couple. Pilots Unit-07. * Mana Kirishima (Shelby Lindley) - Introduced in the ninth season premiere, Mana first appeared in the Girlfriend of Steel visual novel produced in the early 2000s. She was recruited by NERV as the pilot of Unit-09, and as a result, the pilot rosters was re-organized into two-unit squads. Mana is a quiet, shy girl who usually eats by herself at lunch at school. She started coming out of her shell when Kensuke reached out to her (you can probably see where this is going). * Yui Ikari (Monica Rial) - The wife of Gendo and mother of Shinji and Rei. During the first Contact experiment in Unit-01 in 2005, Yui was absorbed, killing her. Her soul, though, endured, and was the main power source of Unit-01. After Unit-01 was heavily damaged in the assault on Spacegodzilla's fortress in 2017, her physical body was found in a sac of fluid, perfectly fine, and showing perfect vital signs. She eventually awoke from a coma and, after getting her bearings and being briefed on what transpired in the past two years, she resumed her position as head scientist of NERV. *'NERV Soldiers' - The common frontline grunts of NERV. They are armed with handheld blaster rifles and laser machetes. They are all Red Shirts who serve only to highlight the threat presented by the villain of the week, but have shown themselves to be deadly combatants during the German Civil War. Evangelion Units The cyborg mech units that form the backbone of NERV's doctrine. They remain the last Angels in existence, even if as clones. All Units were retrofitted with N2 Missile Tubes mounted in the chest and ankle-mounted scramjets between the Angel Crisis and the Cthulhu Wars. Other subsystems were implemented that allowed NERV to scrap the various attachments (ie the D-Type equipment), but did retain the Dirac Armory for weapon storage. Despite this, nothing was done to disable the AT Fields, which remained part of the Eva systems as a holdover, to be used in the event the Angels ever returned (which one did thanks to Cthulhu). In the 2015 movie, all units were heavily damaged in the assault on SpaceGodzilla's fortress, and the Angel clones inside were killed. Rather than scrap the units outright and rebuild them, Gendo made the decision to refit them as full robots. Not only did this make maintenance easier and enable the installation of many systems that would otherwise have been impossible to work around the organic parts, it also thawed relations between NERV and the Vatican. Among the new systems are integrated rocket launchers, an additional N2 missile tube, an expanded sensor suit on Unit-02, wrist-blasters, reconfigurable arms turning into various things such as cannons, swords, flamethrowers, water cannons, and rocket arms, and various systems for interacting with special turrets and stations. Other upgrades included touchscreens in the cockpit, a more spacious cockpit, upgraded scramjets, and the permanent deactivation of the AT Fields. All pilots still wear plugsuits, but they have been repurposed as pressure suits, as all pilots are now required to wear helmets, due to the removal of all systems related to LCL and the fact that the cockpit isn't pressurized as a result (though the later robotization of the units included installing new pressurized cabins, thus forgoing the helmets, though the plugsuits are still worn for interface, medical, and aesthetic reasons; the contact barettes have not been used since the Angel Crisis, their elimination allowing Asuka to change her hairstyle as part of her efforts to disassociate herself with her past behavior). *'Unit-01' - Piloted by Shinji Ikari. Unit-01 is the frontline unit of NERV, and is the leader of Alpha Squad. *'Unit-02' - Piloted by Asuka Langley Sohryu. Unit-02 is the second-in-command of Alpha Squad. This unit is equipped with scanning and examination equipment. *'Unit-00' - Piloted by Rei Ayanami-Ikari. Refitted following the end of the Angels Crisis, bringing it up to modern standards. Member of Alpha Squad. *'Unit-03' - Formerly piloted by Toji Suzuhara, but now piloted by Kensuke Aida. Leader of Beta Squad. *'Unit-04B' - Piloted by Hikari Horaki. Member of Beta Squad. Replaced the destroyed Unit-04 following the Nevada Incident. *'Unit-05' - Unit-01's backup unit. Piloted by Shinji Ikari. Painted in an inverse version of Unit-01's color scheme. *'Unit-06' - Unit-02's backup unit. Piloted by Asuka Langley Sohryu. Lacks scanning and examination equipment, forcing Asuka to use the visual scanners should the mission profile call for examination. Painted in an inverse version of Unit-02's color scheme. * Unit-07 - Piloted by Mari Makinami. Debuted in the post-credits scene of the 2015 revival, when Rei notices it under construction. Unit-07 has an electronics suite specifically aimed at disrupting MechaGodzilla systems, but is also able to disrupt missiles. * Unit-08 - Toji Suzuhara's new Evangelion unit after he returned to active duty. Has a back-mounted artillery cannon used for long-ranged bombardment. * Unit-09 - Piloted by Mana Kirishima. Has long-range sensors that can detect enemies from a great distance. *'Mass-Produced Units' - A project started near the end of the Angels Crisis. Abandoned when a simulation showed they would savagely tear Asuka to death, a prospect Shinji was not a fan of. All test units were scrapped, with four production units repurposed as Units-03, 04B, 05, and 06. SEELE A former global power cabal, they were NERV's benefactors who were behind the Instrumentality plot. When God intervened shortly before Instrumentality was to have begun, he cast the entire council, as well as all of their associates, directly into Hell. A few members of its military arm are still active, though, and still under the delusion that Kihl Lorenz's goal of the Human Instrumentality Project are still achieveable. UNGCC/Earth Defense Force The United Nations' anti-kaiju division. the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasure Center developed the maser technology that was later refined by NERV into their laser technology. The organization was originally named after Godzilla, when Godzilla re-appeared in 1984, was formed in 1992 shortly after Godzilla III fought Mothra and Battra, and was disbanded in 1995 after Godzilla melted down and Godzilla Jr. disappeared, as well as the appearance of the Angels. The UN reformed the organization in 2015 shortly after God's intervention and the appearance of the Invadors. The UNGCC was renamed Earth Defense Force (EDF) shortly thereafter, since Godzilla had become an ally to humanity, rather than a destructive force of nature. In addition to conventional forces maintained by the world's militaries, the EDF also has various specialized weaponry, such as maser tanks, maser cannons, cryo tanks, space fighters, and even giant anti-kaiju robots. *'MechaGodzilla 2' - The frontline mech unit, MechaGodzilla 2 was built from the remains of the first MOGUERA following Spacegodzilla's defeat at Godzilla's hands and placed in storage. There were plans to launch it against the Angels, but Gendo sabotaged it because the Instrumentality plot was highly-dependant on the Evas. MechaGodzilla 2 was later reactivated for use against the Invadors and Mutant Horde. Occassionally, MechaGodzilla 2 is also launched against Cthulhu's army if the Evas are overpowered. MechaGodzilla 2 has an array of weaponry, including a Mega Buster Beam shot from its mouth a la Godzilla's Atomic Breath, Paralysis Missiles, Laser Eyes, shock anchors and cables, the G-Crusher protocol (now known as the K-Crusher protocol, "K" standing for "kaiju", reflecting changes in Godzilla's loyalties and as a result, EDF doctrine), and the ability to combine with a flying weapon called Garuda to form Super MechaGodzilla. It also has the Super Heat Shield NT-20, which can absorb heat coming from kaiju beam weapons to power the Plasma Grenade, and is programmed with various martial arts styles, making it a proficient melee fighter as well. The original MechaGodzilla required a crew of four, but the second-generation unit is unmanned, greatly reducing operating costs. *'MOGUERA' - A mobile weapons platform, MOGUERA is a more frail robot that is nevertheless a force not to be trifled with. Not made for melee, MOGUERA is designed for fighting at range with rapid-fire plasma beam eyes, a plasma cannon in its chest, auto-lasers shot from its cone-shaped hands, Spiral Grenade missiles, a shower of sparks shot from the plasma cannon chamber, an EMP bomb, and a Photonic Storm. MOGUERA can walk normally, or travel on treads located in its feet, with the treads being the preferred method of locomotion, and the normal walk mode only being used over terrain too rugged for the treads. All of MOGUERA's weapons are linked to a powerful auto-targeting computer (the first MOGUERA required a crew of three). MOGUERA is never used for frontline fighting, rather operating as fire support for the more upfront mech units like MechaGodzilla 2 and Jet Jaguar. MOGUERA can fire from a range of up to 100,000 feet, meaning it can operate safely and provide fire support for the Evas against Cthulhu's army. There has been talk of renaming MOGUERA to "MOKUERA", as the "G" in its name stands for "Godzilla", but as of 2017, MOGUERA retains its name, probably because it rolls off the tongue easier. *'Jet Jaguar' - Built using earlier plans for Jet Alone and by Maya Ibuki's uncle, Goro, Jet Jaguar is a fighting robot with melee combat in mind, having all fighting styles programmed in. Jet Jaguar was programmed to learn, and soon, he was able to modify his own programming to change his own size. From as small as a bug to as large as Biollante, Jet Jaguar can change his size as the situation dictates. He can shoot a laser beam from his hands, but rarely uses it, since it is very weak and only used in desperate situations. JJ spends most of his time living on Monster Island with the Earth Defenders. *'Mecha-King Ghidorah' - Built from the remains of a King Ghidorah deployed by the Invadors to destroy Seattle, Mecha-King Ghidorah is the EDF's most powerful mech unit. Technically a cyborg rather than a robot, he still posesses all of his combat forms, plus regenerative tasers, shock anchors, a machine hand and a shield to compensate for the loss of his scales during the reanimation process, as well as his Gravity Bolts. His power means he can freely engage Cthulhu's minions without risk of much damage. For the first few months of operation, Mecha-King Ghidorah required a pilot to operate, but this was alleviated when NERV technology was used to make him autonamous. *'Kiryu 1' - Codenamed "MechaGodzilla 3", Kiryu was built around the bones of Godzilla III. Kiryu was introduced in the 2002 season to coincide with the release of Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla. Kiryu went on destructive rampages several times due to traces of the original Godzilla DNA in the bones. Eventually, the spirit of the third Godzilla (1984-1995) inhabited the mecha and Kiryu became the de facto leader of the EDF mech units. In addition to a mouth-mounted maser beam, Kiryu also has a back-mounted missile back and can be equipped with shoulder-mounted missile launchers and wrist-mounted laser blasters. He also has a fully-functional tail and is a proficient hand-to-hand fighter. *'Kiryu 2' - A second Kiryu unit built from the remains of Godzilla II. Unlike the first Kiryu, all traces of DNA were removed, making this unit much more successful than the first. Both Kiryu units remain in service. *'Kiryu 3' - A third unit built around the body of Godzilla IV. It serves as a life support suit, and as a result, Godzilla IV was revived and has full control over all functions. Earth Defenders A coalition of monsters indigenous to Earth. Led by Godzilla, the Earth Defenders fight to defend the planet and all life on it, especially humans. *'Godzilla '- The leader of the Earth Defenders and the undisputed King of the Monsters (and the true star of the show). Unlike his predecessors, but like his father, this Godzilla fights to defend humanity and has a fondness for children. He is also good friends with Shinji and Asuka. Godzilla's trademark special abilities include his powerful Atomic Breath, regeneration (granting him near-invincibility), long tail that he uses as a club or bludgeon, nuclear pulse (when his mouth is forced closed), nuclear bite (starting in the 2015 movie), and sharp scutes (dorsal spines). His most deadly attack, though, is his Spiral Ray he inherited from his late father, which involves spinning around once and then loosing a red-colored and much, much more powerful version of Atomic Breath, which Godzilla usually uses to finish off downed monsters or clean up corpses, as a hit results in the monster being blown to smithereens. The current Godzilla, Godzilla V, debuted in the 2015 movie, first appearing as the new Godzilla Jr., before growing to full Godzilla size after his dying father transferred his life force into him, as well as being kicked into the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Plant by a Mechagodzilla, causing him to absorb a massive amount of radiation and making him the most powerful Godzilla ever. So powerful, in fact, that when given a massive dose of radiation, he gains access to his ultimate ability: the Hyper Ray, a purple-colored beam that he used to destroy the Invador Mothership. Uses the FinalGoji design. **'Godzilla I' - The first Godzilla who appeared in 1954 and torched Tokyo before being killed by Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer. However, a few of his cells survived, and over a period of 64 years, he slowly regenerated before resurfacing in 2017, and evolving different forms to cope with his surroundings. His first form was a strange, eel-like creature, his second form was a tadpole-esque creature with stubby arms, and his third form was close to his original form, but with shrivelled-up, useless arms and exposed muscle tissue. To compensate for this, Godzilla I had some rather bizarre defenses, unlike anything seen with even Cthulhu's Army. He was able to shoot a massive stream of fire from his mouth, as well as a thin, purple Atomic Breath, and could also shoot Atomic Breath from the tip of his tail, and even shoot lasers from his scutes. After reaching the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Plant, still leaking radiation from when Godzilla V was kicked into it, he buried himself in the rubble and absorbed the remaining radiation, regaining his original form and, as a result, losing his adaptations. To compensate, though, his Atomic Breath, which was still a mist, gained explosive properties, and he was once again invulnerable to conventional military weaponry. In the end, it took the combined efforts of Godzilla V, Female Godzilla, all six Evangelion units, and the three Kiryus to bring him down, with Godzilla V using his Hyper Ray to impale his great-great grandfather and annhilate him. Uses the ShinGoji designs for the first three forms, and the ShodaiGoji design for the final form, as well as in stock footage. **'Godzilla II' - Appeared in 1955 and fought another member of Anguirus' species in Osaka before being buried in an iceberg (the events of Godzilla Raids Again). He was thawed out by global warming in 2016 and destroyed Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Okinawa, and Hiroshima, before being killed in Toyko by Godzilla IV, aided by all five Evas, before being rebuilt as Kiryu 2. Uses the SoshingekiGoji design. **'Godzilla III' - Appeared in 1984 and melted down in 1995. Father of Godzilla IV. Is now Kiryu 1. Uses the 84Goji, BioGoji, BatoGoji, RadoGoji, and Moge/DesuGoji designs (via stock footage). **'Godzilla IV' - This Godzilla was hatched from an egg in a G-Force laboratory in 1993 after being found in Rodan's nest. He grew to full Godzilla size in 1995, and disappeared shortly thereafter. He resurfaced in 2015 to fight Cthulhu, served as the main kaiju protagonist throughout the original series' run, as well as the wilderness years, and was killed in 2017 when King Ghidorah dropped him into an oil refinery from the air, dying as a result of blunt force trauma and third-degree burns, and if not that, then it was a concentrated bombardment from King Ghidorah, Gigan, Megalon, Orga, Hedorah, and every alien MechaGodzilla on hand. He was later resurrected when he was placed in a life-support suit that turned him into Kiryu 3. Uses the MogeGoji design. *'Anguirus' - A giant ankylasaurus and Godzilla's best friend and second-in-command. What Anguirus lacks in size and a beam weapon, he makes up for in tenacity. He has a spiked carapace that can cause bleeding for careless opponents, very powerful jaws, and can roll into a ball and roll all over his enemies. He has very powerful vocal chords, and can roar at a very, very high sonic frequency, enough to stun opponents, shatter glass and even concrete, and cause permanent deafness (but only in kaiju; it doesn't affect humans due to being on a frequency that humans can't hear). Uses the SoshingekiAngira design. *'Rodan' - A giant pterasaur and Godzilla's other best friend. Rodan can fly at speeds so high it whips up destructive windstorms, which is why Rodan has to fly at airline regulation speed over populated areas, though he is known to fly just fast enough over snowed-in areas to clear out snow. He can also use his wings to whip up huge windstorms and fire a Uranium Beam from his beak, and also has sharp talons that can tear apart opponents. Uses the HeiseiRado design (a newly-built version that is a full suit rather than a puppet, as the original one was). *'Mothra' - A divine moth and Godzilla's confidant. Mothra can fly in space and fire a powerful beam from her antennae. As a larva, she can spit web and roll around like Anguirus, and as an adult, can create reflective scales that bounce back beam attacks. Uses the HeiseiMosuLarva/Imago design. *'King Caesar' - The ancient guardian deity of Okinawa, King Caesar was awakened just before heading out to fight Cthulhu near NERV HQ. He has very powerful legs that give concussions, and the ability to absorb and shoot back beams from opponents with his eyes. He is always concerned about the safety of humans. Uses the ShodaiShisa design. *'Baragon' - A burrowing dinosaur who first appeared in 1965 and fought Frankenstein. He re-emerged when Cthulhu appeared. As long as Baragon's feet are touching the ground, he is always charging power. Baragon can shoot a stream of fire from his mouth and is good at acrobatics, which he uses in combat. Baragon is younger than most of the Earth Defenders (bar Godzilla), and is rather bashful and naive, but also very enthusiastic. Uses what later became the SokogekiBara design. *'Varan' - A mutated flying monitor lizard, Varan is at home in the hills and forests of Earth. He can glide with his flying squirrel-like folds, and can shoot sonic beams from his mouth, which causes monsters to lose their center of balance. Like Baragon, he is young, bashful, and naive, but also very enthusiastic. Uses the design later used in Godzilla Unleashed. *'Gojirin '- Godzilla V's sister, who was taken from the nest as an egg by Megaguirus, only for the egg to be lost at sea. Gojirin hatched and grew to full size after an encounter with several Zillas, whose radiation she absorbed. She lacks some of her brother's abilities, such as the Spiral Ray, Nuclear Pulse, Nuclear Bite, and extendable tail, but makes up for it with extensive knowledge of various hand-to-hand fighting forms. More often than not, she fights like a boxer or a professional wrestler, taking some cues from the WWE such as John Cena's Attitude Adjustment or The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver. In addition, her Atomic Breath is thinner and weaker than her brother's, but has kinetic properties that enable it to pierce monsters and even ignore the alien Mechagodzilla's shield. She is devoted not only to her brother and his friends, but also to the defense of the human race, and to that end, has found a sort of kindred soul in Rei and Mari, just as her brother has with Shinji and Asuka. Gojirin was introduced in the ninth season premiere. Uses the MegaroGoji design. Mutant Horde A loose alliance of monsters who are distinguished by their one unifying goal: the extinction of man and the destruction of his civilization. They are led by Spacegodzilla, though it was later revealed that Ritsuko was the one truly calling the shots. Because of their meddlesome nature, they are often engaged by NERV, and are high priority targets for the Earth Defenders and EDF. The Invadors also have no qualms with engaging them, and vice versa. *'Spacegodzilla' - Puppet leader of the Mutant Horde and Godzilla's evil doppelganger. Following his defeat in 1994, Spacegodzilla was reborn on Europa, flew back to Earth, and assembled a band of rogue kaiju. Spacegodzilla's element is crystals. As such, he has control over everything crystal. There are even giant crystals in his shoulders. Spacegodzilla can fly, grow massive crystal spires that shoot beams, giants orbs of energy, or recharge his energy, and shoot a Corona Beam from his mouth. While very powerful, able to pick up mid-sized buildings and monsters with his mind, he is not a very good hand-to-hand combatant due to his slow and lethargic gait, and is also weak to sharp-edged attacks. He also required crystal towers to recharge his energy, and these are easily destroyed. *'Krystalak' - Born from a diamond mine in Africa, Krystalak is the direct result of Spacegodzilla. Krystalak can fire a stream of crystal energy from his mouth, shoot orbs of crystal energy from his tail, and create massive shockwaves capable of destroying anything and anyone in its wake. His fighting style is reminiscent of a tiger. Krystalak only appeared in one episode, and remained relatively obscure before re-appearing in Godzilla Unleashed in 2007 as a Wii exclusive. Since then, Krystalak has gone on to appear in several Johnson-made Godzilla productions. *'Obsidius' - Born in the eruption of Mt. Rainier (an eruption that destroyed Seattle), Obsidius is sentient molten rock who shoots molten rock from his mouth and advances single-mindedly on unstable volcanoes to feed on molten lava. Obsidius is deathly weak to poison, a weakness exploited by NERV and taken advantage of by Shinji, who used Unit-01's bolt-action blaster to fire a massive vial of poison into Obsidius, allowing Godzilla to finish him. Like Krystalak, Obsidius only appeared in one episode, fading into obscurity until 2007. Since then, Obsidius has been portrayed in a more heroic light in Johnson's Godzilla productions. *'Biollante' - A massive plant monster with a crocodile mouth and tendrils with mouths on them, Biollante is by far the largest kaiju on Earth. Created in the Amazon by Cthulhu, she rebelled and joined the Mutant Horde. Biollante is physically imposing, but also very, very slow. Her large size makes her susceptible to concentrated assaults. She can shoot radioactive sap spray from her mouth, and burrow underground. As a plant, she is very weak to fire, and always amscrays when Godzilla, Baragon, or an Eva with a flamethrower shows up. This is actually the second Biollante; an identical monster of the same name was accidentily created by Dr. Shirigami in 1989 through a combination of a rose and the DNA of his late daughter Erika and Godzilla. This first incarnation was killed by Godzilla III a few days later. *'Battra' - A dark divine moth and Mothra's evil twin, Battra is Spacegodzilla's second-in-command. He has a similar life cycle to Mothra, starting life as an armored caterpillar with a giant horn used as a battering ram or bludgeon, or to fire a powerful electric blast, before growing into a nightmarish moth-thing with wings and Prism Beams shot from his eyes. His duty is supposed to be to defend humanity, but he deduced long ago that the greatest threat to humanity was itself. Unable to reconcile this paradox, he came to the conclusion that a third-party had to save mankind from itself, and set out to send it to extinction. This resulted in an epic battle with Mothra millions of years ago that resulted in Battra's imprisonment. He arose once more in 1992 and continued his battle with Mothra, but the two were forced to team up against a much greater threat in Godzilla III. Battra was killed by Godzilla in the ensuing battle, but he was reincarnated in 2015 and joined the Mutant Horde, once again at war with Mothra and humanity. *'Ebirah' - A giant lobster. Rather than being a single kaiju, Ebirah is an abundant species that attacks in hordes. Surviving from prehistoric times and re-emerging in 2015, Ebirah have no real special abilites since they are just big lobsters, but have very powerful claws which regenarate when ripped off. They are also adept swimmers. At the end of the day, though, Ebirah are pretty much regular lobsters on a macro scale, and are often killed en masse. *'Kumonga' - A giant tarantula. Like Ebirah, Kumonga is a species of kaiju, rather than a singular kaiju. Kumonga can spit web and have a poison stinger in their mandibles. Beyond this, though, they are just giant spiders easily killed; so easily, in fact, oftentimes Unit-01 kills them simply by stepping on them. *'Kamacurus' - A giant preying mantis. Another kaiju species, Kamacurus can fly and have spiked claws. They can also camouflage themselves, making them among the more troublesome Red Shirts of the Mutant Horde. *'Titanosaurus' - Yet another kaiju species, rather than a singular kaiju. Titanosaurus are much, much more dangerous than any other Red Shirt of the Mutant Horde, with Zilla only being more dangerous. Titanosaurus are taller than the average Earth Defender or Eva, and can shoot sonic beams from their mouths (like Varan). They also have fan-like tails that can whip up massive windstorms or just slap enemies and buildings. Titanosauri rely on strength in numbers, and attacking a city alone is suicide, since they are surprisingly easy to kill; the reason for this, studies show, is that their skin is not very thick so as to allow them to swim faster. Even MOGUERA can handle several Titanosauri without backup. Yet they breed like pests, adapting to any environment like the common carp, and being just as troublesome as the cane toad. In the 2015 film, it is revealed that several subspecies have emerged: **'Normal Titanosaurus' - This is the baseline Titanosaurus. Their range consists of the world's oceans, and many islands, a few of which are uncharted. **'Desert Titanosaurus' - This variant has harder skin and desert camouflage to cope with desert conditions. Their range includes the Gobi Desert, Syrian Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Great Sandy Desert. **'Ice Titanosaurus' - This variant has white skin and are warm-blooded, and shoot ice beams instead of sonic beams. Their range consists of the Arctic, Antarctica, the Scandinavian countries, and Siberia. **'Urban Titanosaurus' - This variant has urban camouflage. They aren't as common, and are usually found in cities still in ruin following the Great European War. **'Forest Titanosaurus' - This variant has forest camouflage, and are herbivores. They are territorial, but usually do not venture out of their territory, which is why they tend not to be targeted for extermination, bar a few overly-aggressive individuals that attack human settlements. They can be found in uninhabited areas of forested areas. **'Plains Titanosaurus' - This variant is brown in color. They make their home in the Great Plains of the United States and the African Savanna. Quite unusually, they are peaceful, respecting human territory, and have even been known to assist the Earth Defenders, EDF, and NERV in fighting other monsters, even their own bretheren. In that effect, this subspecies can be considered a member of the Earth Defenders, even though they rarely, if ever, venture beyond their range. **'Mountain Titanosaurus' - This variant has very powerful legs allowing them to climb mountains. Their range consists of the world's mountain ranges, putting them in direct conflict with humans. Attacks on mountain towns are very common, and in California, the Sierra Nevada colonies have been known to go down into the Central Valley and attack the major population centers. **'Atomic Titanosaurus' - This very rare variant can only be found in the Chernobyl and Fukishima-Daiichi Exclusionary Zones, and all across Europe following the Great European War. They are much, much more powerful than any other variant, able to shoot Atomic Breath a la Godzilla, and have regenerative abilities. Conversely, infant mortality rates for this variant are higher than normal. *'Megaguirus' - Introduced in the 2000 season, Megaguirus is a giant dragonfly and the queen of the Meganulon/Meganula, a species of man-eating dragonflies. The eternal enemy of Rodan dating back to prehistoric times, Megaguirus can siphon energy from other monsters, mechs, and Evas, which allows her to copy their beam and use it herself. She also has very powerful claws and is an agile flyer, giving her opponents a hard time. *'Zilla' - A mutated marine iguana. Named so because the Americans mistook the first Zilla for Godzilla, Zilla's 1998 New York attack was the final time a kaiju appeared until 2015, marking the end of the Second Kaiju Age. One Baby Zilla survived the bombing of Madison Square Garden, slipped out of the city, and grew up before asexually reproducing in the Pacific (swarms of Zillas, in fact, resulted in the deaths of many Angels during the crisis, which gave SEELE many headaches, as they believed that all of the babies had been killed). The Zilla species re-emerged in 2015 and became Spacegodzilla's heavy shock troopers. The original Zilla was a coward, often running from the US military, and resorting to ambush tactics, and was easily killed by missiles; in addition, his only special abilities were his Power Breath and urban camouflage. The new generation of Zilla, on the other hand, has Green Atomic Breath, better durability, and hold the kaiju landspeed record. They are also the only kaiju known to eat humans, which is why the EDF and NERV have weekly purges of Zilla nesting grounds that are too close to human settlements. *'Gabara' - A giant ogre-like monster, Gabara is seen by everyone and everymonster (even his Mutant Horde allies) as a major asshole. Gabara is an amoral kaiju who is even willing to kill his allies, something that puts friction between him and Spacegodzilla. Gabara is also a Starscream, plotting to usurp Spacegodzilla's position. He can shoot electricity from his hands, but often gets his ass kicked. Many do not consider a threat more than a nusciance. Still, he claims to be a dangerous killing machine. Invadors A race of aliens whose name is too hard to pronounce and are cosmetically identical to humans, the Invadors seek to conquer Earth, turn it into the galaxy's biggest strip mine, and eat the humans (according to them, humans are their species' favorite food, and even have multiple cookbooks, including the award-winning To Serve Man). They were the ones responsible for the mysterious disappearances throughout history, including Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa. While their conventional forces easily overpower Earth's armies, they are useless against kaiju, mechs, and Evas. So, they deploy their own kaiju, all from different planets, or mechs armed to the brim. *'King Ghidorah' - De facto leader of the Invadors' kaiju army, Ghidorah is a golden three-headed dragon. Ghidorah can fly at speeds so fast, it causes winds that destroy anything in its path (like Rodan). Ghidorah's main attack is his Gravity Bolts fired from his three heads. He can also use his heads and tails to fight "hand-to-hand". Ghidorah's main weakness is his lack of arms and hands, and the fact that his skin is easily pierced by melee attacks (though it can absorb beam attacks, ordinance, or laser weaponry just fine). He is also useless without all three heads, and is a sitting duck if his wings are damaged. The first Ghidorah deployed was killed in Seattle by Godzilla, becoming Mecha-King Ghidorah. A second Ghidorah was not seen until the 2002 season. The first Ghidorah uses the HeiseiGhido design, while the second uses the SokogekiGhido design. Inn the 2015 movie, Ghidorah merged with a Ghidorah from another universe to form the ultimate Ghidorah (a hybrid of ShodaiGhido and SokogekiGhido designs, offically named JohnsonGhido). *'Gigan' - A cyborg monster with hooks for hands and a buzzsaw in his abdomen, Gigan was the first of the Invadors' kaiju army to appear on Earth. After a fight that Godzilla narrowly won, Gigan was nearly destroyed by Godzilla's Spiral-Ray. While the remains were being examined, Gigan was beamed back up, healed and rebuilt, and put back into their army. Towards the end of the 2004 season (the final one of the original run), Gigan was upgraded with the FinalGigan design after Godzilla and Varan critically injured him. Gigan was built with melee fighting in mind, as if his giant claws didn't tip you off. His claws and buzzsaw cause bleeding, as both Godzilla and Anguirus learned the hard way. Gigan can also shoot a laser beam from his single eye and teleport. Rei often refers to him as "Beavis". *'Megalon' - The god of a subterranean species known as the Seatopians, Megalon is a giant stag beetle with drills for hands and is an ally of the invasion effort. Megalon can shoot electricity from his horn, and napalm bombs from his mouth. Like Gigan, he was made for melee fighting, as his drills can spin up and gore opponents, as well as destroy buildings in seconds. Since he's often partnered with Gigan, and they lose pretty much every engagement, Rei tends to refer to Megalon as "Butthead". *'Orga' - Introduced in the 2000 season, Orga is a giant...thing. There is no way to describe him. He has giant hands, a Godzilla-like head, and a shoulder-mounted cannon that shoots plasma. He can also pick up buildings and monsters with one hand, and dislocate his jaw like a snake, a fatal mistake when going up against Godzilla... *'MechaGodzilla' - The aliens' version of MechaGodzilla is mass-produced thanks to their vast resources. Though clunkier in design, the alien version was designed with offense in mind, unlike the human version, which is mainly for defense. The alien MechaGodzilla design has a staggering amount of firepower, from eye lasers to missiles launched from the fingers, knees, mouth, even toes, to a chest-mounted beam and the ability to spin its head 360 degrees to fire in any direction or put up a shield. MechaGodzilla units are among the most dangerous in the alien army, yet only one is deployed at a time to avoid crowding and potential friendly-fire. The trailer for the 2015 revival movie, though, shows a horde of MechaGodzillas attacking Alpha Squad. In the 2015 movie itself, it is revealed that friendly fire and crowding are no longer an issue, and MechaGodzilla units are spammed during the big battle. *'Mogera' - Built from Mysterian plans, Mogera is a more robust yet less armed version of MOGUERA. Whereas MOGUERA is a mobile weapons platform, Mogera is more of a scout unit armed with only laser eyes and able to burrow. As such, it isn't really built for combat, but is capable of holding its own in a hand-to-hand fight and is much more durable, unlike MOGUERA. Like MechaGodzilla, Mogera is also mass-produced. *'Hedorah' - Created by the Invadors from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Hedorah is often called "The Smog Monster". He can take on several forms, has acidic skin, and can shoot lasers from his eyes. Shinji likens fighting Hedorah to fighting a giant feces. Cthulhu's Army Cthulhu's Army is the main enemy of NERV. Led by, well, Cthulhu, this hell army was created by Satan to replace the Angels that God had redeemed. Unlike the kaiju, members of Cthulhu's army can talk. There are just too many too list here, so I refer you to this link: Cthulhi Mythos deities. I'll leave their special abilities to your imagination, reader. *'Cthulhu' (Tony Jay) - The main antagonist of the series and the Son of Satan. Cthulhu is a mix between a giant man, an octopus, and a dragon. Cthulhu lost his left leg and right arm when trying to escape Anguirus in the first episode, and spent much of the series on his throne in the Bermuda Triangle, commanding his army from the shadows. The final few episodes saw him regrowing these limbs and taking action at long last. Cthulhu's abilities include flight and very powerful laser eyes, as well as a large amount of physical strength. After his death in the final episode of the original run, Cthulhu's spirit endured, and he possessed Shinji before being excised and sent back to the depths of hell by Asuka's love. Rogue Kaiju These kaiju do not associate with any group. Some are mercenaries, some wish death to all factions, and some are just plain neutral. *'King Kong' - Frequently called "The Eighth Wonder of the World". First discovered by a film crew on Skull Island in 1933, and the subject of a famous film made by Universal, a second member of the species, much larger than the first, was discovered on Mondo Island in 1967 alongside Gorosaurus. Kong is friendly towards humans, especially young women, but abhors reptilian kaiju, especially Godzilla and Gorosaurus. But when Cthulhu's Army or the aliens threaten, Godzilla and Kong are very agreed on the subject of defending humanity. Uses the GoroKongu design. *'Gorosaurus' - Discovered on Mondo Island in 1967, Gorosaurus lives on a remote part of Monster Island. While he supports the Earth Defenders' cause, he doesn't believe violence is the answer. But when threatened by aliens, he unleashes a powerful Kangaroo Kick. *'Kamoebas' - A kaiju mercenary. Wherever the killing's good, he's there. He has fought for the Earth Defenders, Invadors, and Cthulhu's Army. Godzilla does not approve of his mercenary career, and prefers that he either be an Earth Defender or dead. He has no special abilities, but does have strength to spare. *'Gezora' - A species rather than a singular kaiju, Gezora are infamous for sinking ships simply for shits and giggles. Initially thought to be the legendary Kraken, investigation revealed that one of Yog's creations had somehow cheated death and procreated. Gezora use their tentacles as weapons, but otherwise, have no special abilities. They are not members of the Mutant Horde simply because Spacegodzilla believes them useless. *'Ganimes' - A subset of Ebirah, Ganimes are stone crabs and thus are more resistant to damage. They have all the same abilities as an Ebirah, otherwise. They are not members of the Mutant Horde due to their tendancies towards isolationism. *'Destoroyah' - Created by the Oxygen Destroyer, Destoroyah first appeared in 1995 when Godzilla III went into meltdown. He was killed by the Super X-III, and later re-appeared in 2016, ready to bring death to all forms of life. Destoroyah can fly, shoot a Micro-Oxygen Beam, release a cloud of micro-oxygen, and shoot a massive Oxygen Destroying meteor that homes in on the nearest target. He also has a scorpion-like tail and sharp claws. His most deadly attack, though, is his Laser Horn, which he forms from the horn on his head. He can use this "sword" to cut through anything like a lightsaber. He is the most deadly opponent alive, even more deadly than anything Cthulhu can dish out, but even Destoroyah has weaknesses. For one, he has a debilitating weakness to extreme temperatures, be they hot or cold, and the floral pattern on his chest is also a major weak spot. Godzilla IV harbors nothing but pure hatred and malice for Destoroyah, as it was him who killed him in 1995. This hatred lives on in Godzilla V. *'Female Godzilla/Germanzilla/Roguezilla/Femzilla' - A female member of the Gojirasaurus maximus genus, this Godzilla first surfaced during the German Civil War, allied with the rebels. She attacked London during the final stages of the war, only to be met by Godzilla IV, who defeated her. She later resurfaced, now with charred skin and bleached scutes but a more powerful Atomic Breath matching her male counterpart's, when Kiryu 1 was first deployed. She is now her own kaiju, attacking cities, feeding on radiation from nuclear power plants, fighting the Earth Defenders, and hunting and consuming Titanosauri. She isn't inherently good or evil, but rather, is simply a force of nature like the first three Godzillas. Whereas Godzilla fights using several hand-to-hand combat forms, Female Godzilla fights like a savage animal. She and Godzilla, though, do share the common interest of defending Earth, and will team up in dire situations. Uses the MireGoji design in her first appearance, the KiryuGoji design in all subsequent appearances. Other Characters *'God' (Patrick Stewart) - THE God, who made various versions of himself to serve as deities of the religions of Earth (yes, even the Flying Spaghetti Monster). He is an ally of humanity, and the one responsible for the plot of Monster World. He remained on the mortal plane for five months after his intervention, contributing to major technological breakthroughs and leading Earth on the path to Enlightenment. He still returns occassionally when humanity is in need of his Word. His appearance is modeled after his voice actor, Patrick Stewart. *'Satan' (Frank Welker) - The Ruler of Hell and the source of all evil. Satan is the very cause of Second Impact, caused by an epic battle between him and God that ended with the latter being knocked unconscious. Satan then corrupted many of God's children, thus creating the Angels. The final stages of his plan were in motion in 2015, and was on track for Third Impact before God intervened. Angered, Satan sent his son, Cthulhu, and his army to the surface to deliver his wrath upon the world. After Cthulhu's death, Satan has begun formulating a new, more subtle strategy as opposed to an all-out invasion from Hell. That answer came in the form of Nemesis and her army. *'Pen-Pen' (Frank Welker) - A genetically-enhanced penguin who lives with Misato. He spends most of his time watching TV, drinking beer, and sleeping in the refrigerator. Rei is convinced he is evil. *'Miki Saegusa' (Kari Wahlgren) - A psychic who knew Godzilla III and serves as Godzilla IVs liaison. She is head of the Psychic Research Divison of the EDF. *'The Shobijin' (Wendee Lee) - The twin priestesses of Mothra, who can only be described as tiny women. They always speak in unison, except when they need to emphasize a point, in which case, they finish each other's sentences. Vehicles The series contains many, many vehicles in addition to mech units and kaiju. NERV Vehicles *Misato's car - Originally a beat-up Toyota Corolla belonging to her parents, it was destroyed and replaced with a Pagani Zonda C12; Misato is still a bad driver. *NERV-04 Tank - A standard MBT with a 105mm cannon *Shocker-class launcher - A mobile missile launcher *Pack-10 - A humvee used for transport and patrol *F-22 Raptor - A standard fighter jet designed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force; the NERV version replaces the tracers with laser cannons, missiles with proton torpedoes, and adds a G-Diffusor, freeing the fighter of all atmospheric and gravitational limitations, and removing the concept of g-force from the equation *SF-93 R-Wing Starfighter - A space fighter used by Shinji, Asuka, and Rei; needs a carrier ship for interstellar travel (not built yet), but perfectly capable of interplanetary travel on its own; its design and name are a tribute to Star Fox: 'S'tar 'F'ox, 93 represents the year the original SNES game was released, and R-Wing sounds the same as Arwing EDF Vehicles *Gotengo - A flying battleship with a giant drill and an Absolute Zero Cannon; sometimes called Atragon *Land Moguera and Star Falcon - A tank and a starfighter, respectively; they combine to form MOGUERA *Type 90 Maser Cannon - A mobile maser cannon invented by G-Force and the JSDF *Garuda - A flying weapon created by G-Force in 1991 to counter Godzilla; later became part of and destroyed with MechaGodzilla in 1993, then rebuilt in 2015 *Super X3 - An aerial vehicle with an array of weaponry that defeated Destoroyah in 1995, and was put in long-term storage for the duration of the Angels Crisis; reactivated in 2015 Alien Vehicles *Walker - Resembling an AT-AT, the alien walkers deliver devestating fire power *Fighter - These alien-looking fighters that vaguely resemble TIE Fighters are used for air support *Mothership - A massive mothership with a superlaser capable of levelling whole cities Hallmarks The series has quite a few hallmarks that were prevelant throughout its run. School-to-Train Station Chats These scenes usually take place at the beginning of the episode, and introduced in the first episode. These are conversations between Shinji and Asuka as they walk from the school to the train station to return to NERV HQ. While recording these conversations, Spike Spencer and Tiffany Grant were told to make up conversations on the spot, in-character, which resulted in some amusing conversations (including one about the 2000 US Presidential Election that was ultimately cut for being too political). The scenes often feature out-of-focus and abstract shots, many of which use the massive Tokyo set built outdoors near Fresno, California. Sometimes, another voice actor was instructed to interrupt the conversation and get a response. One time, Tom Kenny walked into the studio and asked if any of them wanted "Premium Cuban Cigars". Spencer responded, in-character, by shouting the now-famous line "GET THOSE DEATHSTICKS OUT OF MY FACE!" Slice Of Life episodes These episodes do not involve monsters. Rather, they focus on the daily lives on NERV Pilots and Staff. These episodes are mainly for comedy, but also have drama and romance. One memorable episode in this category, "Budgets", involved Kaji overthinking the EDFs research budget when their research on Gigan did not match up with NERV's research, leading him to assume that the EDF spends more money on weapons than research and leaves the guesswork to NERV. Another, "Shinji Down!" had Shinji becoming lost in the wilderness, staying awake for three days while he walked back to Tokyo, then fell asleep in class and was sent home due to exhaustion. The episode is best remembered for the 10-minute static shot of Shinji sleeping, broken up when Asuka walked into the bedroom to check on Shinji, and even kiss him on the forehead. Other moments from these episodes include a bottle cork shooting through a wall and nailing Shinji, with the unnamed NERV soldier who shook the wine bottle being the target of Asuka's wrath. Ask Monster World These end-of-episode segments feature Rei answering questions sent in by viewers on her computer, often with some gimmick. These segments ceased in 2001 when the Homestar Runner.com feature "Strong Bad Email" debuted, and they wanted to avoid any accusations of similarities. The segment will be reintroduced in the 2015 revival, where at least four straight episodes will be devoted to the backlog of questions since 2001. Monster Files Replacing "Ask Monster World", these segments are also hosted by Rei, and detail various kaiju and members of Cthulhu's Army. They are sometimes interrupted by various other human characters. List of Episodes Season One (1998) The first season premiered on Memorial Day 1998, to coincide with the release of the Tristar remake. Unsurprisingly, Monster World was the more successful, as it actually featured Godzilla. Throughout the first season, the series ran into budgetary issues, and several sequences could not be completed. To fill in these gaps, the production crew resorted to culling stock footage from the Godzilla films, as well as animation from Evangelion and footage from various Gerry Anderson series (including Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and Terrahawks), then slickly edit them to ensure continuity remains consistent between shots. Plots were usually formulaic, but changed up often enough to maintain ratings and keep things fresh.. #''The Beginning'' - The pilot episode. While walking to the train station, Shinji and Asuka are confronted by Cthulhu. When the Evas fail, the entire Earth Defender faction attacks and sends Cthulhu packing. #''The Trouble with Oorn'' - Alpha Squad is deployed to Osaka to stop Oorn from destroying the city. #''The Great Eihort Operation'' - A similar plot to last episode, just with a different monster. #''The Shape-Shifter Poseiden'' - The shape-shifting monster Poseiden takes on the visage of Gamera and attacks Kyoto. #''Ithaqua's Wrath ''- Ithaqua annihilates Portland, Oregon, and Alpha Squad is sent to do damage control. #''The Giant Space Chicken'' - After Shigeru accidentily triggers a false kaiju alert, thus leading to a full system reboot, Alpha Squad is immobilized. It couldn't come at a worse time, as Gigan attacks Los Angeles. Fortunately, though, Godzilla is on hand to stop the madness. #''On the Beach with Shathak'' - A day at the beach for the teens becomes a race to Terminal Dogma to stop Shathak. #''Azathoth, Eater of Worlds'' - Azathoth descends from space and begins eating the population of Beijing. #''Deforestation with Rhogog'' - Rhogog appears in the Sequoia National Forest. With Alpha Squad pre-occupied taking care of damage done by Azathoth, it rests on Baragon and Varan to defend visitors to the national park. #''Ililot's Got Moves'' - Ililot blankets the American Heartlands in darkness, hoping to deprive the crops of sunlight. #''The Worm that Gnaws in the Night'' - The titular monster eats an entire village in South Korea in a night, eliciting a response from Alpha Squad. Easier said than done, since the worm can burrow. Fortunately, though, so can Baragon. #''Invasion!'' - The Invadors reveal themselves and begin an initial invasion of Earth. Alpha Squad fights an alien Mechagodzilla in Fukuoka, but are downed. Fortunately, Godzilla arrives and bests his mechanical doppelganger. #''Secret of the Crystals'' - Cape Town is occupied by the Mutant Horde. Alpha Squad, Godzilla, Anguirus, and Rodan respond to take on a resurrected Spacegodzilla and his army. #''We Are Legion!'' - Shinji, Asuka, and Rei fight Invador soldiers on the ground to disable a major alien communications array. #''Into the Spider's Nest'' - A Kumonga infestation in Mexico leads Alpha Squad and Mothra to enter the nest outside Mexico City. #''The Amazonian War'' - Cthulhu's minions use dark magic to create a new monster named Biollante, who defects to the Mutant Horde. This causes problems for the minions, who also have to contend with Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. #''Aliens Among Us'' - A new "Red Scare" occurs, and now everyone is accusing everyone of being an alien spy. #''Hostage Crisis'' - The Invadors take the entire World Trade Center complex hostage (remember this was 1998), and all negotiations fail, forcing NERV to send Shinji and Asuka in to rescue the hostages. #''The Hunting Horrors'' - The titular monsters prey on humans in the American Midwest, and with NERV engaged in the hostage crisis at the WTC (this episode takes place concurrently with the previous episode), it rests on the Earth Defenders and EDF to take care of things this time. #''For Science!'' - Ritsuko wants a Mutant as a live test subject. #''Playing with Fire'' - Swarog kickstarts California fire season, and Alpha Squad is dispatched to police the situation. #''Basatan's Plan'' - The giant crab Basatan sways some Ebirah and Gezoras to his side, intending to take out Cthulhu while he's weak and usurp his power. #''Thirty Minutes over Zilla'' - Several Zillas attack New York to nest. Godzilla and MOGUERA arrive on the scene to stop them from decimating the local fish population and economy. #''This Takes the Cake'' - The Invadors begin poisoning cake to thin out the population. #''A Little Bit of Dythalla'' - Dythella, acting against Cthulhu's orders, attacks NERV HQ in hopes of starting Third Impact, unaware that any and all chances of doing so were lost after God's intervention. Cthulhu beseeches NERV to stop the rogue minion before she makes a terrible mistake that will doom all sides except the Invadors. #''Pennies from Heaven'' - What NERV does on a rainy day without any monster activity. Season Two (1999) The second season premiered in September 1999. With a much larger budget, the series saw production values shoot up in many areas, including animation, special effects, and set detailing. Also of note was the large reduction in the use of stock footage, though Gerry Anderson series continued to be farmed for stock footage and music. #''The Propaganda Film'' - The Vatican releases an animated film called The End of Evangelion, which raises NERV's ire due to the depiction of a bad ending to the Angels Crisis. The pope, even in the face of Rei, doesn't budge on his position, stating the Evas, as cloned Angels, need to be destroyed. #''Raphanasuan's Counterattack'' - The giant worm Raphanasuan starts attacking and eating supermarkets in Kuala Lumpur, and no one knows why, though Rei thinks he's just hungry. #''The Great Seattle Operation'' - The Invadors unleash King Ghidorah on Seattle, and Godzilla and Alpha Squad team up to put an end to the mortal enemy of the Godzilla lineage. #''Double Trouble'' - Gigan teams up with Megalon to take down Godzilla, but they soon find themselves in way over their heads. #''Pharol the Black'' - Livestock across America is mysteriously wiped out, and Alpha Squad learns that it is Pharol, who has taken Fresno, CA hostage, demanding the extinction of the human race. Cthulhu goes to NERV for help, since Pharol is clearly not thinking logically. #''A Plague of Shoggoth ''- A Shoggoth nest overtakes and depopulates Sheffield, where they feed on the molten slag from the steel industry. Rodan, Mothra, and MOGUERA are sent to deal with it. #''Shinji Down!'' - Shot down near Osaka while headed to Okinawa to investigate flesh blasted off of Megalon by King Caesar, Shinji is forced to walk the whole way back to Tokyo, all the while being hunted down by North Korean operatives. #''Release the Hounds'' - Cthulhu unleashes the Hounds of Tindalos on NERV HQ. It becomes a four-way battle as members of the Mutant Horde, and an alien MechaGodzilla, converge on their location. #''Budgets'' - Inconsistencies in an EDF report on Gigan lead Kaji to believe that the EDF is skimping on its budget. #''Pest Control'' - Alpha Squad, Godzilla, and Mecha-King Ghidorah attack Titanosaurus nests along the Japanese east coast. But for every nest they destroy, three more pop up in its place. This eventually drives Rei mad, and she rage-quits the whole operation...only to stumble upon the main nest. #''Terror of MechaGodzilla'' - The Invadors mind-control a Titanosaurus, and sends it along with a MechaGodzilla to attack Tokyo. #''Baragon's Brigade'' - Baragon, Varan, Gorosaurus, and a rogue Titanosaurus form a "neighborhood watch" to track down a wanted kaiju named Gabara. #''The Revenge of Gabara'' - Gabara attacks and nearly kills Godzilla, but is forced to retreat when Alpha Squad shows up. #''Turkey Day'' - The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York is rudely interrupted by the Invadors, who unleash Gigan and Hedorah on the city. #''Cyberseven'' - The EDF engages in cyber warfare with the Invadors, with Kensuke drafted to lead the effort. #''Reincarnation'' - Yui Ikari suddenly re-appears in NERV HQ, but it takes Gendo literally a second to realize this isn't his wife, but Olkoth, one of Cthulhu's minions. One by one, NERV personnel are picked off and killed, leaving only (to our knowledge) the named characters left. #''Atomic Hate'' - Godzilla and Alpha Squad venture deep into the Chernobyl Exclusionary Zone to snuff out a Titanosaurus colony. #''Paper Route'' - Shinji gets a paper route in Saitama Prefecture, and Rei soons finds a way to muscle in on his operation in a "get-rich-quick" scheme. Little does she know that Hikari is subtly setting up Rei for failure. #''Taking Matters Into My Own Hands'' - Shinji and Asuka are indisposed by illness, so Rei is forced to go it alone against some Flying Polyps attacking San Diego, #''Where's My Mutant?'' - Ritsuko still wants a Mutant as a live test subject. #''Vengeance'' - Rei begins to tire of Hikari always hitting her, so she starts formulating an overly-elaborate plan to take her down a notch. #''Deja Vu'' - Cthulhu, desperate for options, calls up one of Satan's followers, Sachiel. He sicks him on the Geofront to take NERV out, but Sachiel instead tries to start Third Impact. Alpha Squad is forced to use their Evas' AT Fields once more, and relive the horrors of the Angel Crisis. #''To Serve Man'' - Some humans are captured to be eaten by the Invadors, so Shinji and Asuka infiltrate their base to change the recipes and make it look like humans are toxic. #''Rei vs Hikari'' - The so-called war between Rei and Hikari continues, as their actions become more and more erratic. #''Mercenary'' - Godzilla begins noticing Kamoebas and his mercenary ways. #''Apocalypse Never!'' - Cthulhu's army begins a massive offensive on the world's population centers, and all of NERV, the EDF, the Earth Defenders, and even the Invadors and Mutant Horde band together to beat off the attack. Season Three (2000) The third season featured a switch to digital animation, still using the same style, but now with more vibrant colors. #''Fire Sale'' - Voltiyig creates a La Nina effect in the Western United States, and Alpha Squad is called upon to take him out or risk a major drought in California. #''Orga'' - The Invadors extract some of Godzilla's DNA and use it to create a new kaiju named Orga, before unleashing him on Buenos Aires. #''Operation: Serpent'' - The snake-like members of Cthulhu's army join together to attack various targets. #''Rei vs Hikari II: What Does Electric Boogaloo Mean?'' - The "war" between Rei and Hikari reignites. #''Out of Left Field'' - A baseball game at the NERV company picnic gets interesting. #''Fly Me to the Moon!'' - Using the new SF-93 R-Wing starfighter, Alpha Squad (using the callsign Alpha Squadron) is dispatched to the moon to defend it from Invador attacks. #''I Wanna Kill You'' - Someone takes the lyrics of a GG Allin song way too seriously, and goes on a killing spree in Tokyo. Shinji and Asuka, who just happen to be in the city at the time, turn the hunter into the hunted. #''Battle in Outer Space'' - The SY-3 is escorted by Alpha Squadron to break an Invador blockade preventing supplies from getting to the new Mars colony. #''A Ripple in Time'' - A timewarp experiment by Ritsuko causes Shinji and Asuka to meet their past selves from the Angel Crisis. Needless to say, neither can bear who they once were. Yet, they're forced to work with their past selves to defeat Invadors who followed them into the pocket dimension created by the experiment. #''The Destroyer'' - Destoroyah reforms after 20 years. Godzilla, desiring revenge for killing him in 1995, faces him in Vancouver. #''In The Dark of the Night'' - Cthulhu blocks out the sun with a "Death Star". Alpha Squadron is sent alongside MOGUERA and Mothra to take it out, Luke Skywalker-style. #''Beta Squad'' - Kensuke and Hikari are recruited as Evangelion pilots, forming the new Beta Squad. #''War of the Gargantuas'' - Sanda and Gaira emerge and brawl in downtown Indianapolis, eliciting a response from Beta Squad (Alpha Squad was busy with some Shoggoth). #''Oiled Up'' - Hedorah attacks the oil refineries in Richmond, CA, to feed and disrupt the global economy. Alpha Squad and Godzilla respond. #''Flight of the Gotengo'' - The EDF's newest anti-kaiju weapon, the Gotengo, is deployed against the neutral-aligned kaiju Manda. #''Split the Difference'' - Rei runs interference at Wall Street when SEELE sympathizers try to manipulate the global markets and funnel cash into their efforts to start Instrumentality. #''Detroit Rock City'' - Gigan and Megalon are sent to cripple the auto industry in Detroit, only to be met by Godzilla, Baragon, and Varan. #''Cat Fight'' - Rei and Hikari come to blows in their Evas. #''House Call'' - A medic from Hell tries to induce regeneration of Cthulhu's missing limbs. #''Seriously, Where's My Mutant?!'' - Ritsuko's desperation for a Mutant test subject reaches ridiculous heights. #''Wargames'' - Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Hikari, and Kensuke are involved in an intense game of Axis and Allies. #''More Than Meets The Eye'' - Rei is convinced everything around her is a Transformer, except the animals. #''Take This War and Shove It ''- Shinji and Asuka stage an intervention for Rei and Hikari's "war". #''Confronting the Past'' - Shinji helps Asuka come to terms with her behavior during the Angel Crisis. #''Swarm of the Century, Part 1'' - The Meganula Queen, Megaguirus, re-emerges, bringing with her a massive swarm of giant man-eating dragonflies. #''Swarm of the Century, Part 2'' - Rodan finds out his mortal enemy is back, and goes on the warpath against Megaguirus. Experimental Episodes (2000) Between production of the third and fourth seasons, several episodes were made to test various other animation methods. Ultimately, none of the methods were adopted, and the series continued using the animation/tokusatsu hybrid approach. All episodes were remakes of previous episodes. #''Atomic Hate'' - This episode toyed with the idea of an all-animated approach, including the kaiju. Only half the episode was reworked, as the rest was already traditionally animated. #''Flight of the Gotengo'' - This episode, produced in conjunction with Gerry Anderson, tested the use of Anderson's signature "Supermarionation" technique for the human characters, while retaining the tokusatsu for everything else. This method was scrapped because the more proportionate puppets first created for Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons had many of the same limitations that they did in 1967. #''War of the Gargantuas'' - This episode tested the use of live actors for the human characters, utilizing an all-Japanese cast (dubbed over by the English cast). It was scrapped because the characters with multicolored hair such as Rei and Misato didn't translate well to live-action, the slapstick between Rei and Hikari was too difficult to coordinate, and (rather amusingly), Asuka's bow kept falling off, to the point the production crew had Asuka's old contact barettes on standby. #''Detroit Rock City'' - This episode tested an all-stop-motion approach. It was rejected because animating the monsters was time-consuming. #''The Great Seattle Operation'' - This episode tested the use of CG for all shots that usually would be tokusatsu. Rejected outright by Timothy Hill, who felt the CGI was hokey, and due to his philosophy that "it's better when something's in front of the camera". Season Four (2001) The fourth season featured the season-long German Civil War arc. To this day, it remains a fan-favorite season due to its though-provoking storyline and massive action sequences. The season was banned in Germany until 2007 due to Nazis being the main villains. #''A Day Called X'' - Germany is divided once more, this time between the German government and the self-proclaimed Fourth Reich. The rebels launch several nuclear missiles at Japan in an attempt to keep NERV from interfering, but the missiles are all intercepted and Alpha Squad is launched to retaliate. #''The Set-Up'' - NERV sends a major detachment to Berlin to assist the German government and EU, as a hot debate in the UN unfolds over whether or not a coalition should be created to destroy the rebels. #''Anschluss'' - The Fourth Reich annexes Austria after threatening it with nuclear weapons, and NERV retaliates by attacking a major rebel ammunition depot. #''Firefight at Essen'' - German and French forces clash with the rebels at Essen. #''Intelligence'' - Shinji and Rei infiltrate a rebel FOB to steal their battle plans. #''Blitzkrieg'' - The rebels drive deep into the Low Countries as the war spills over and the Fourth Reich's plans become clear. #''Defending the Convoys'' - Civilians begin fleeing rebel-held territory in convoys. Viewing this as a defiance of their will, the Fourth Reich begins destroying the convoys and leaving no one alive. This drives Asuka to lead Shinji and Rei in an escort operation using the SF-93s. #''Enemies at the Gates'' - The rebels reach the outskirts of Paris, only to be met by Alpha Squad in their Evas. #''Height for a Hijacking'' - A group of rebels, angered by the loss of their brothers-in-arms in Paris, hijack a fully-loaded American KC-135 Stratotanker and crash it into TV Tower in Berlin, causing to collapse...on top of a gas line exposed during work by Vattenfall, which causes a chain reaction that destroys roughly 60% of Berlin and kills over a million, Devastated, Asuka lashes out at a village in rebel territory and leaves no one alive, a slaughter Shinji gladly joins in on. The rebels are horrified by Asuka's actions, and begin taking moral stock of the situation. This episode was intended to air on September 11, 2001, but did not air for obvious reasons. It was unreleased until 2005, when it was released on home video, and aired in TV for the first time in 2007. #''Meanwhile in Tokyo...'' - Left to keep watch over NERV, Misato is left bored until Gigan is spotted in the countryside. Hungry for action, she sends Beta Squad his way. #''Beavis and Butt-Head'' - Gigan regroups with Megalon and tries to attack Tokyo again, but they're met by Godzilla and Jet Jaguar in the countryside. #''Boredom'' - Hikari feels something isn't right, and then concludes it's because Rei's in Germany. #''Video Games'' - Left with nothing else to do since all eyes are on Germany, and Cthulhu and the Invadors have been quiet, Hikari and Kensuke play some PS2 games, including Street Fighter EX3, Ridge Racer V, SSX, FIFA 2001, Crazy Taxi, ''and ''Gran Turismo 3 A-spec. #''Eve of Destruction'' - Aware that the civil war is about to escalate into a war spanning Europe, NERV spends the night relaxing and preparing. #''The Big Push'' - The Fourth Reich pushes into Germany, and is now snarling like angry dogs outside Berlin. #''Stand Your Ground!'' - The German president and all members of the Bundestag evacuate Berlin, but Asuka defiantly stands her ground against the rebels. #''Asuka's Rage'' - Pushed to her breaking point, Asuka takes Unit-02 and drives very deep into rebel territory, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. Gendo sends Shinji to stop her, but Shinji instead joins her. As Shinji and Asuka lay waste to Frankfurt, Gendo is left to wonder if this is all repressed anger from the Angel Crisis. #''Terror in Mannheim'' - After learning that the Fourth Reich has been exterminating Jews, Slavs, Poles, Gypsies, gays, the mentally-challenged and physically handicapped, and blacks, Gendo gives the authorization to commence strategic operations in rebel territory. This entails Alpha Squad attacking and destroying Mannheim to eliminate their ability to build tanks on the Daimler and John Deere assembly lines. #''Closing on Stuttgart'' - Alpha Squad's approach on Stuttgart is hindered by the rebels unleashing a group of Titanosauri under their control. #''Just Give Me My Mutant!'' - Even in wartime, Ritsuko's desire for a mutant test subject is unextinguishable. And she'll turn to desperate measures if need be! #''Kaiju Attack'' - The rebels unleash the kaiju under their control, including Titanosauri, Ebirae, Kumongae, and salvaged alien Mechagodzillas, upon population centers in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The Earth Defenders, EDF, and NERV spring into action. #''Hold the Line'' - The battle in Germany devolves into a stalemate. #''Another Godzilla?'' - The Fourth Reich unleash their secret weapon on New York City: a female Godzilla. The real Godzilla makes a beeline for the Big Apple. #''Barbarossa Redux'' - The Fourth Reich conquers Poland and invades Russia as Godzilla and Female Godzilla continue their fight in NYC. #''Nuclear Conclusion'' - The German Civil War, by now renamed the Great European War, comes to an explosive conclusion. #''Like a Phoenix'' - With Europe eviscerated, widespread Balkanization begins, and the political situation in Europe will never be the same. But, with the Fourth Reich defeated, NERV returns home. Season 5 (2002) The fifth season saw a switch to the use of digital cameras; all prior seasons had used 35mm film. #''Kiryu, Part 1'' - Having salvaged the bones of Godzilla III after his meltdown in 1995, the EDF creates MechaGodzilla 3, later renamed Kiryu. And just in time, as a furious Female Godzilla resurfaces in NYC, scarred but stronger than ever. Things become complicated when traces of DNA in the bones cause Kiryu to remember he was Godzilla, and he goes berserk and attacks Unit-01, angering Asuka and causing her to retaliate. After the incident, the EDF demands NERV to hand over Asuka, wanting to place her under arrest for insubordination. #''Kiryu, Part 2'' - Having refused to turn Asuka over, NERV and EDF engage in a civil war that the UN is powerless to stop. Meanwhile, Kiryu is sent to attack a Titanosaurus nest. This time, the issues of Kiryu going berserk doesn't pop up. #''Kiryu, Part 3'' - NERV and the EDF are forced to make peace when the Invadors send Gigan and Megalon to sift through the ruins of Mannheim for anything useful. #''Kiryu, Part 4'' - Female Godzilla reappears, this time in Osaka. The EDF soon discovers that Kiryu goes berserk upon hearing the roar of another Godzilla, and authorize Alpha Squad to subdue him. #''Kiryu, Part 5'' - EDF scientists attempt to remove the DNA traces from Kiryu's bones, but he breaks out, now possessing free will. He attacks Tokyo, but stops when he sees and hears Godzilla IV. Godzilla IIIs spirit inhabits the mech, and together, father and son defend Tokyo from Female Godzilla alongside Alpha Squad. #''The Probe'' - Mysterious craft begin crashing in various locales worldwide, none of which match Invador technology. Both NERV and the Invadors, therefore, deduce that another alien race has their eyes on Earth, and declare a truce to work out exactly who it is. They eventually find out that it's the Xiliens. #''Flight of the Gotengo'' - The Gotengo is launched against a group of Titanosauri attacking Boston. #''Policing Europe'' - Kaiju activity in Europe increases following the nuclear exchange that capped off the Great European War, and the EDF and NERV launch their mechanized forces to police the situation, as hundreds of Mutants come to feed on the fallout. #''What Makes Them Tick'' - Alpha Squad, utilizing stun blasters, captures an alien Mechagodzilla intact so the EDF can study it. #''All is Fair'' - Rei resorts to dirty tactics in her never-ending conflict with Hikari. #''Remnants of the Past'' - A group of Gezoras and Ganimes attacks Vladivostok, to which Godzilla and King Caesar respond. #''School Dance'' - The fall formal at school gets interesting when Rei and Hikari's war causes it to devolve into a massive brawl. Shinji and Asuka, having brought stun blasters in preparation for such a scenario, must now pacify the riot. #''In Defense of Mannheim'' - After a period of unusual silence, Cthulhu sends his minions to Mannheim to see if there's anything they can use, anything at all. Beta Squad responds to the incursion. #''God's House'' - God has a party in Heaven, and Shinji and Asuka are invited. They tour God's home, learning fascinating stories not told in the Bible. #''Viva Las Vegas'' - During a conference in Las Vegas, Shinji and Rei find out that Gendo has a gambling problem. #''Alchoholics Anonymous'' - Misato decides to weaponize her surplus beer left over from the Angels Crisis to impair the judgement of Coatlicue when he attacks Cairo. #''Moonbase'' - Alpha Squad is sent to the moon to destroy an Invador base. #''Terrahawks'' - In this crossover episode, NERV makes contact with the Terrahawks, and send Alpha Squad to Hawknest when it is discovered that Zelda is assisting the Invadors. #''To Mars!'' - NERV does what the Terrahawks are too cowardly to do and attacks Zelda's base on Mars using the SF-93s. In retaliation, Zelda, shortly before she is destroyed, sends a kaiju-sized Sporilla to attack Honolulu, only for it to be met by Godzilla. #''MUTANT!'' - Take a guess... #''Photosynthesis'' - Realizing how Biollante gets her massive strength, the Earth Defenders attack her at night. #''Grand Theft Auto'' - Shinji and Asuka play Grand Theft Auto III and provide some hilarious commentary. #''Hamlet'' - The school puts on a production of Shakespeare's Hamlet, with Kensuke in the starring role. He'll need help from his friends overcoming his stage fright. #''Holdouts'' - A German rebel holdout is discovered operating out of the ruins of Stuttgart. #''Countdown to War, Part 1'' - NERV, the EDF, and the Earth Defenders prepare for a massive Invador attack. #''Countdown to War, Part 2'' - The Invador attack never materializes, but Cthulhu makes a statement by having Hastur destroy Melbourne. Season 6 (2003) Non-Nuclear Theory During a period of high tension between the United States and Russia that could result in global thermonuclear war, Glaaki appears in Tokyo. With all attacks bouncing off, Ritsuko tells Shinji to launch an N2 Missile. Shinji won't lest paranoid missile silo personnel start Neo-World War III. Asuka defends Shinji's decision, and Rei hurls some very scathing insults in Ritsuko's direction, yet Ritsuko is insistent. Near-insanity, Shinji does launch the N2 Missile...at Ritsuko's mountainside laboratory, seemingly killing her. Shinji is absolved of all responsibility, as Gendo blames it on war nerves. The US and Russia are quick to realize it is an N2 weapon that was detonated due to the lack of a radiation release. Revenge Shinji and Asuka are abducted in the dead of night by Ritsuko, reconstructed as an insane cyborg. The two are about to be executed by Ritsuko's new cyborg army (which she has callously named the Cybermen), when Gendo, Misato, and some NERV Soldiers burst in and kill Ritsuko. Yet she endured and would return several times in world domination plots, even allying herself with the Invadors during the climax. Godzilla vs Godzilla arc In this eight-episode arc, another Godzilla is thawed out of his icy prison by global warming, going on a rampage through the Pacfic Rim and fighting Godzilla until he reaches Tokyo and is met by Godzilla and all five Evas, who kill him. His skeletal remains are repatriated to the EDF, who intend to create a second Kiryu, only this time removing any trace of DNA. This arc is best-remembered for the sequences in which Godzilla II destroys cities. Season 7 (2004) Total War arc Cthulhu's injuries from the beginning of the series finally heal, and he takes to the field, bringing unparalleled death and destruction upon the world. The Invadors also start a full-scale invasion that devastates the planet. The Last Stand In the series finale of the original run, Cthulhu has his long-awaited showdown with the Evas. In the fighting, Asuka is injured, sending Shinji into a rage that gets him put out of commission as well. With Alpha and Beta Squads out of commission, Godzilla arrives and hands Cthulhu his ass, and eventually kills him with his Spiral Ray. Cthulhu's Army surrenders and is executed on Monster Island, and the Invadors are also forced into retreat. The world celebrates and is rebuilt by God and Gaia. This episode was highly anticipated. Viewing guides were mailed out to TV Guide subscribers, Entertainment Weekly and TIMES Magazine each devoted entire issues devoted to the finale in the weeks leading up to it, full-page ads were placed in newspapers around the world, and a plaque commemorating the series was presented to WBC by Hideako Anno (creator of Evangelion). On premiere night, TV Land, AMC, TNT, TBS, and Comedy Central all went off the air, displaying slides encouraging viewers to watch the finale (TV Land made a similar move when Seinfeld aired its finale in 1997). Unsurprisingly, the finale was the highest-rated program of the night. The end credits showed a montage of clips from the first two Godzilla movies, the entire Heisei series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, ''and finally, ''Monster World itself, set to Godzilla's theme, and at the end of the broadcast, a picture showing the entire voice cast was displayed with a message saying "Monster World 1998-2004. Thanks For Watching!" Internet fans found a world without Monster World to be inconceivable. Many also sent in complaints regarding the ending. Apparently, all but one plot thread had been resolved. The plot thread in name was Shinji and Asuka's relationship. Johnson Industries knew this was a glaring error on their part, deciding to focus more on the action and the final confrontation between Godzilla and Cthulhu, but rather than make a new scene for a future rerun, the decision was made to create a theatrical movie to resolve the plot thread. There was discussion regarding making the movie the true finale, but it was eventually decided that "The Last Stand" would remain a finale, and the movie would be a treat for the fans and a way of saying "we screwed up", and to avoid a situation a la End of Evangelion. Wilderness Years Despite being ended (read: not cancelled), there was still new material released occassionally, mainly in the form of primetime specials. The Weakest Link Special (2008) In 2008, the cast of the series appeared on the British game show The Weakest Link. The contestants, comprised of Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Gendo, Misato, Hikari, Kaji, Maya, and Fuyutsuki, were presented as animated characters (the studio audience saw the voice actors). Throughout the show, there was a running gag in which, no matter who the Weakest Link was, Rei and Hikari would always vote for each other; both were removed from the studio when they got into a physical altercation. Eventually, only Shinji and Asuka were left and, not wanting to vote the other off, made the decision to both vote for Anne Robinson, who was quite shocked, before proceeding to declare them both the Weakest Link, to which the pair pulled out blasters and indiscriminately opened fire, hitting the camera. In lieu of the normal sign-off, a technical difficulties slide showing Rei and Hikari hitting each other with tools was shown, accompanied by the intermission music from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Fuyutsuki giving a blow-by-blow of what was going on in the studio, before John Cleese broke character after noticing the music that was playing and began telling a story about how the ending of Monty Python and the Holy Grail was rewritten due to budget issues. Ultimately, the episode had no winner, and there have been fan movements calling for a rematch. The Therapy Sessions (2010) Adapted from the New York Times best-seller of the same name, this special was the first piece of animated material made by WBC (Toho and Gainax had been making movies on an annual basis since 2007, and did so until 2014), and explores the therapy sessions briefly touched upon in the pilot. Memorable moments include God going into Gendo's twisted mind to rewire it, the touching moment where Shinji and Asuka make peace and become best friends, and Rei gaining emotions, revealing her story, and remembering she is Shinji's twin sister. On Netflix, the new Toonami run, and the annual Halloween marathon shown since 2012, this special is first in airing order. Operation: Fukushima (2011) Created in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, this special premiered on Memorial Day. In the special, taking place on March 11, 2016 (five years later than the actual earthquake and tsunami and, according to text shown during the episode, four months before "The Last Stand"), the Fukushima-Daiichi disaster attracts members of the Mutant Horde, including Zillas, Titanosauri, Ebirahs, and a few new kaiju not seen in the series during its initial run, mainly monsters from the Ultraman ''series, such as Red King, Neronga, Gomess, Jirass, and Telesdon. Godzilla, Rodan, Varan, every EDF Mech, and Alpha Squad defend the plant successfully. The special was released on DVD and Blu-Ray the next day, with all profits made going to the relief effort. The special was initially derided as "disrespectful" prior to release, especially since actual images of the disaster were used (creating an odd juxtaposition when live-action people appeared one minute, and animated characters appeared the next), but was an instant success in Japan since it was a badly-needed morale booster. Work on the special was actually commissioned by the Japanese government to provide such a morale boost, and indeed, the special was the most-viewed program on NHK on Tanabata in Japan, even managing to dethrone ''Sazae-san as the most-viewed program of the week. On WBC in America, Europe, and Oceania, the special was also a success, and was highly anticipated by the fanbase, who unanimously agreed the special did not disappoint, delivering its message as well as a good ol' monster-and-robot brawl. Many fans also mentioned that at the least, it was great seeing Shinji, Asuka, and Rei again. How The Homicidal Cyborg Absconded With Christmas! (2012) A Christmas special. This special is a parody of the many Christmas specials over the years, mainly How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The plot involves Cyber-Ritsuko and her army invading the North Pole with a MechaGodzilla left over from the Total War arc of season seven. Memorable moments include Santa Claus using a giant Christmas-themed robot to fight MechaGodzilla, accompanied by rock renditions of Christmas carols provided by AC/DC. Godzilla also appears, breaking through the ice and handing MechaGodzilla his ass. Later, Cyber-Ritsuko and a few of her Cybermen sneak into Tokyo and steal Christmas, a la The Grinch. Instead of her heart growing "three sizes that day", she is found out by Shinji and Asuka, who are awoken as Cyber-Ritsuko rummages around NERV HQ. The two give chase, defeat her, and get the stolen goods back. The special ends with a Christmas party involving characters from the Johnson Aligned Universe (the first appearance of the characters in Monster World, as the Johnson Aligned Universe was introduced the same year), in which Shinji breaks the fourth wall by wishing viewers a Merry Christmas, then heads off to read a twisted version of The Night Before Christmas. ''Throughout the special, hints at the series' 2015 revival (really, blatant announcements saying "Monster World Returns 2015") are made, before a formal announcement was made on Christmas Day 2012. These references were removed in 2014. Rei's Festivus (2014) Billed as the first Festivus special, this hour-long special was aired on December 23, 2014. In the special, Rei tries to bring Festivus to NERV after watching the ''Seinfeld episode introducing the concept, as well as a failed stint as a mall Santa (posing as Santa's daughter) that ends badly when Hikari makes fun of her and Rei, desiring revenge for all the times Hikari used slapstick on her, attacks, and is promptly fired. Her plans quite humorously fail, and comes to a head when she accidentily creates a rift between Shinji and Asuka. Not wanting them to break up and ruin her plans to get them together, she comes forth with the truth, causing Shinji to disown her. Walking the streets of Tokyo alone on Christmas after being shunned by everyone at NERV, she comes back a hero after stopping another Christmas theft attempt by Cyber-Ritsuko and taking Unit-00 to defend an orphanage alongside Godzilla against Gigan and Megalon. All is forgiven, and they have a Merry Christmas. During commercial breaks, Shinji and Asuka presented behind-the-scenes looks at the 2015 film. Season 8 (2015) Nemesis Rising The first episide of the new series will introduce Nemesis and other monsters from Colossal Kaiju Combat. Wedding Crasher Following a "series of contrived events", as Shinji quips, Kaji and Misato are getting married. Too bad Megalon had to crash the party. Ask Monste World Backlog 1-4 These episodes will involve Rei answering the backlog of questions for the Ask Monster World segment discontinued in 2001 Stakeout at Freddy's A crossover with Five Nights at Freddy's. Not much is known about the episode, only that it will have "the biggest plot twist in the show's history". Movies ''Revenge of Cthulhu'' (2006) The biggest complaint about the series finale was that Shinji and Asuka never got together, let alone kissed. This movie set out to fix this. The plot involves Cthulhu's enduring spirit possessing Shinji, using him to go on a rampage in Unit-01, and alienate NERV until they seek to kill him, not knowing he is possessed. Asuka is the only one not hunting Shinji, and actively opposes NERV. In the end, Cthulhu's spirit is excised by Asuka's declaration of love to Shinji.. Shinji and Asuka then kiss and become an official couple, eliciting a thumbs-up from Rei when she cracks open Unit-01s hatch mid-kiss, while devestating Hikari, who developed a crush on Shinji after Toji disappeared from the public eye. But Cthulhu has a last-ditch plan: possess Destoroyah. Fortunately, Godzilla shows up and takes his revenge for what transpired in 1995, sending Cthulhu back to the depths of hell where his soul falls into Oblivion and is permanently destroyed, much to Satan's despair. The film was a critical and commercial success, with many critics saying the movie "ended the series on a great note", despite the cliffhanger featuring SpaceGodzilla, the Invador Controller, and Cyber-Ritsuko separately plotting, which was inserted during post-production to open the door for a continuation, which was confirmed in 2012. The film was also one of Tony Jay's final projects before his death. ''Monster World'' (2015) Slated for June 2015 release, this movie will serve as the pilot for the revived series. Rather than being a reboot, the new movie will continue the story and depict the Invadors returning with an even bigger invasion force. The movie will have several characters recast (Sue Ulu, John Cleese, Kendra Benham, and Carol Amerson were replaced as Ritsuko, Fuyutsuki, Maya, and Hikari by Colleen Clinkenbeard, John Hurt, Bridget Hoffman, and Caitlin Glass, respectively, though Cleese later returned to his role after Hurt's death in early 2017). Spike Spencer, Tiffany Grant, Michelle Ruff, Tom Kane, Allison Keith, Michael McConnohie, Matt Greenfield, Jason C. Lee, and Kurt Stoll will remain in their respective roles as Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Gendo, Misato, Kaji, Makoto, Shigeru, and Kensuke. Specific story details are scarce at this time, though the teaser trailer depicts Alpha Squad fighting a horde of MechaGodzillas (something that never happened during the original series due to the fact there was only one MechaGodzilla suit available; the advent of the Johnson Aligned Universe changed this, resulting in the construction of a staggering 20 additional suits, and hundreds of plywood dummies destroyed and replaced on a regular basis). It is also confirmed that Ritsuko and her cyborg army will appear; it is rumored that it will be revealed that Ritsuko, even in her human form, was responsible for signalling and mind-controlling SpaceGodzilla, and forming, controlling, and stealthily leading the Mutant Horde. The main trailer premiered during half-time of Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015, depicting scenes from the movie, such as a major assault on an island that turns out to be SpaceGodzilla's fortress, Shinji's new jetboots (and his subsequent rescue of Asuka from a Titanosaurus, and their thrilling flight through the island while on the run from other Mutants), the Invadors fusing King Ghidorah with a Ghidorah from a parallel universe, Godzilla being dropped into an oil refinery and blasted by the Invadors' kaiju forces all at once, and Alpha Squad being halo-dropped into New York City. Other shots shown included Gendo shedding a tear for as-of-yet unknown reasons, Misato pushing Kaji away, Cyber-Ritsuko smirking, Shinji and Asuka kissing passionately, Rei getting an eye gouge from Hikari and later hitting her head against a wall, and Fuyutsuki looking with apprehension at something. The trailer ended with Godzilla in full view roaring at the camera, followed the names of Spike Spencer, Tiffany Grant, and Michelle Ruff, the film's logo (unchanged from the TV series), Unit-01's roar, and Godzilla's Millenium roar, hinting at a major event in the film. Shortly after the trailer premiered, fans with too much time on their hands, using editing software, managed to spot Kaworu Nagisa. Many thought it was simply a flashback, while other say that, as an Angel, he works in mysterious ways. Director Timothy Hill debunked the theory, stating that Kaworu was still dead and will remain as so, and that the so-called Kaworu-spotting was really Rei seen from a funny angle and in abnormal lighting. though he also hinted at bringing him back via a flashback in the eighth season. The fact that a casting call for the character was leaked and that Steven Blum had been reported in the studio has sparked rumors. Initally, this movie was to be pushed back to November 2015 to accomodate the Johnson Aligned Universe film Nemesis after a 60th Anniversery Godzilla co-production with Toho for November 3, 2014 release was announced, a film that was released as Terror of Godzilla (a crossover with CLANNAD that spawned a trilogy). However, Nemesis was instead moved to March, and Monster World was moved back to its old release date, the coveted June release slot. Despite the change, Nemesis still takes place in its original spot on the Johnson Aligned Universe timeline in September 2014, so as to maintain the integrity of the universe and the major Konata and Kagami plot thread (argubly the most-anticipated part of the movie). The movie was released on June 19, 2015 (the same day as another movie belonging to Johnson subsidiary Disney, Inside Out) to critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a rare 100%, and Metacritic, too, gave it a perfect score of 100, and was given an overall score of four stars. The movie was also the highest-grossing film in June and July, and still commanded large crowds in mid-August. The film was a massive hit in Japan, as well, receiving a huge amount of promotion, advertising, and previews. On opening day in Japan, theatres reported have run out of refreshments (a similar situation occured upon EarthBound's Japanese release in 1997), and several even had to cancel screenings of other films so their screens could be used as overflow, angering those not there to see Monster World (these irate patrons were actually the vocal minority). Things were no better in the United States. Gridlocks were reported in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, New York, and Boston, all owing to massive theatre crowds, many of whom had camped out for several days in anticipation of the film. ''Shin Godzilla (2016) Shortly after the 2015 film, Johnson Studios announced that there would be a new ''Monster World film annually, along with a new Johnson Aligned Universe movie. Via a clever misinformation campaign, Toho announced a new Godzilla film to be released in 2016. The film was described as a reboot, and to that end, filmed scenes with live-actors for the first trailer. On March 13, 2016, Johnson Studios announced that Godzilla Resurgence was actually a new Monster World ''film, and that Toho would release a new film of their own in 2018. The plot involves the return of Godzilla I. A few of his cells survived the Oxygen Destroyer, and over a period of 63 years, slowly regenerated. After ships begin disappearing in the Pacific, the EDF and NERV launch an investigation into them, initially writing them off as Gezora attacks. But soon, a misshapen, armless Godzilla-like creature emerges in Kawasaki, and attacks nuclear plants (many still suspended following the 2016 earthquake and tsunami) to speed up regeneration, evolving different forms and completely destroying Kobe until it reaches the Fukushima-Daiichi plant, by which point the creature regains its original form. After causing chaos in Shinogawa, Godzilla I makes landfall in Tokyo and destroys much of the city before Godzilla V, Female Godzilla, the three Kiryus, and all Eva units arrive to oppose him. This film was notable in that, for Godzilla Is final form, original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakijima reprised his role at the age of 87 (the first two forms were CGI, and the third form was operated via remote control; the final form was a reproduction of the ShodaiGoji suit). It was the first time Nakijima had portrayed Godzilla since 1972, and the final time he would do so before before his death on August 7, 2017. The film was directed by ''Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, rather than Timothy Hill. It was the first Monster World production Anno had direct involvement in. Shin Godzilla was the third highest-grossing film of 2016 behind Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It received a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus of "Shin Godzilla brings Hideaki Anno to the fray, and with his masterful artistry, combined with Johnson Studios' high-quality practical effects, the film is an instant masterpiece that warrants comparison with the original 1954 film." The film was also praised for its grim ending, depicting Godzilla I as the true victim, a reminder of mankind's recklessness in the 1950s and 60s, as Godzilla V is forced to put him down, in sharp contrast to the cheery endings of the previous two Monster World films. A separate, made-for-television version of the film was also made for the Johnson Aligned Universe, though closer to the original script before it was adapted into a Monster World production at Anno's request. Other Media In addition to the show and movies, the franchise made its way to several other mediums. Comics A comic book series was started in 2000. Published by Dark Horse Comics, the comics depict various battles and events not seen in the show. The comic was published until 2004, when it changed hands to IDW and was published until 2012 when the Johnson Aligned Universe was introduced. It was revived in 2015 to coincide with the revival of the series, now published by Marvel Comics (Johnson Industries having acquired Disney in 2013). Video Games The first Monster World video game, titled Underworld, was published in 2000 for Playstation, N64, and PC. The game is a third-person open-world sandbox in which the player controls Shinji, Asuka, or Rei through various areas of the Greater Tokyo Metroplex to stop a major anarchist organization rumored to be supported by the Invadors. Players have free reign to drive a wide-range of licensed vehicles, use crazy weapons, and kill anarchists in creative and hilarious ways (Rei has argubly the best kill camera sequences). In some levels, the player takes control of an Eva, and plays as Godzilla in the final level, fighting a monstrous creation called Autosaurus Wrecks (later featured in SimCity 4: Rush Hour as a disaster). The game was given an enhanced port on the PlayStation 2 in 2001 (which included five extra missions, two of which were cut from the original release, three new vehicles, and the ability to play as Kensuke and Hikari), and was re-released on Steam in 2016 with HD graphics, newly re-animated cutscenes (as well as redubbing all voice lines with the current actors, including Michelle Ruff as Rei), achievements, and Steam Workshop support. It has been said that many concepts in the game aided in the creation of modern Grand Theft Auto titles since GTA III. The second game (SpaceGodzilla's Counter-Attack), released in 2007 for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and OSX, is an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter, in which the player controls an Eva, Earth Defender, and EDF mecha (Mutants and Aliens can be unlocked for use after completing all three campaigns on any difficulty, while completing all campaigns on hard will unlock a bonus campaign based on the events of Neon Genesis Evangelion). The game takes place after Revenge of Cthulhu, and involves a war with Spacegodzilla's Mutant Horde. The third game (The Lost Missions), released in 2012 for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U (as a launch title), PC (via Steam), and OSX, involves similar gameplay to the second game and provides a look at the battles never seen on TV or in the comics, including unproduced episodes, scrapped movie drafts, episode scripts that were re-written, and episodes scrapped partway through production (in the latter's case, recorded dialogue from these scrapped episodes is re-used). The series was also heavily featured in the Atari/Pipeworks Godzilla games. In Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Unit-01 and Unit-02 are available by default, with Unit-00 as an unlockable monster. In Godzilla: Save the Earth, all three members of Alpha Squad are available from the start, and both members of Beta Squad are unlockable. In Godzilla Unleashed, all five Evas are unlocked from the start, and grouped under the NERV faction. In all three games, the Evas are part of unique storylines featuring full animation and voice-acting (with the voice cast of the series reprising their roles, except in Unleashed, where Amanda Winn Lee was, of course, replaced by Michelle Ruff as Rei). The series also figures heavily into Godzilla: The Game, in which the Evangelions are exclusive to the PS4 version. The Evas star in their own mode called "For Their Own Good", in which NERV sends the Evas to destroy the G-Cell Generators, as Gendo rightfully believes the generators will turn cities into targets for hostile kaiju. The new Japanese Prime Minister begins Operation: No Traitors, which entails charging all NERV personnel with treason and giving the EDF orders to use lethal force to stop the threat to the Japanese power grid (Rei likens it to Order 66, and even Hikari has to admit she's not very far off). In the end, the Prime Minister is exposed as an Invador agent, and the real Prime Minister is found dead, leading to a snap election, while the EDF stands down and compensates the families of any NERV personnel they killed. Several unlicensed Monster World games have appeared on the Apple App Store, but these are usually taken down within days of appearing. One particular game, though, was so well-made that Johnson licensed and expanded it to become Monster World Battle Tactics, a turn-based tactical RPG that is still being updated; it is notable for not featuring any microtransactions, with everything being available for in-game currency (there is no premium currency); this practice has received immense praise from players, and indeed, no mobile game made by Johnson Games has any microtransactions of any sort, as they believe such practices are used to exploit gambling addictions for profit. For the US release of City Shrouded in Shadow, the Evangelion sections of the game will be changed into Monster World, which will entail removing Sachiel and Shamshel, changing Unit-02 into its original appearance, and adding FMV cutscenes featuring the human characters. Rumros have circulated that Johnson has resolved the royalties issues with Amanda Winn Lee, and that she will return to the role of Rei in this game, though this rumor has been debunked by Rei's current voice, Michelle Ruff. Slot Machine In 2017, Johnson Games released a Monster World slot machine. The main feature of the game involves quick-time events with FMV sequences filmed specifically for the game. Players have to touch the right button on the screen at the right time to increase their winnings, with the wrong choice leading to the loss of a life; when all three lives are lost, the feature is over and the target kaiju beats the Evangelion or Earth Defender you selected. Playable characters are Unit-01, Unit-02, Unit-00, Godzilla, Mothra, and Varan, while the target kaiju are Titanosaurus, Zilla, Gigan, Megalon, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Female Godzilla, SpaceGodzilla, and ending with Cthulhu (who speaks using archive recordings of Tony Jay from past episodes, as well as other projects he voiced in such as ReBoot and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, seemlessly edited to make it sound like Jay recorded new dialogue from beyond the grave). The FMV sequences were filmed during production of the tenth season. Novels A series of novels have been release that expand on the series' mythos. One notable novel published in 2009, titled The Therapy Sessions, details the therapy sessions of each NERV staff member and pilot, and the beginning of the lasting friendship between Shinji and Asuka. The novel was adapted into a television special aired the next year. Toyline A toyline was licensed by Hasbro in 1998. The line includes action figures, vehicles, mechas, and playsets. The mechas, vehicles, and playsets were produced to a precise scale so as to be compatible with the monsters being produced by Bandai. Many of the vehicles and playsets were compatible with the Machine Wars: Transformers toyline being made at the time, also to support a Jonhson-made series. In 2005, the toyline moved to in-house production at Johnson Industries. The new toys were much more articulated and used higher-quality plastics. The toyline is still in production, and a LEGO line has been confirmed for 2015 release to coincide with the movie. Manga The series proved extremely popular in Japan, and thus, a manga was produced. Faithful to the original source material, the manga also introduced new concepts that will be introduced in the 2015 revival. This manga continues to this day, and several of the newest chapters were adapted into episodes for season eight. In addition, the original Evangelion manga had its ending influenced by Monster World. In the original ending, the world goes back to the way it was, and Shinji and Asuka see each other in public, but they have no memory of each other and keep walking. In the new ending, which is now considered canon to the manga, the third-to-last page of the last volume features Shinji suddenly looking at a glowing light, and the last two pages show memorable events from Monster World. The last panel features Shinji, Asuka, and Rei posing heroically with Godzilla roaring in the background. Music The series makes use of music made both by the Johnson Philharmonic Orchestra, and for the Godzilla films (composed mainly by Akira Ifukube, with other pieces by Michiru Oshima, Riichiro Manabe, Masaru Sato, Reijiro Koroku, Takayuki Hattori, Kow Otani, David Arnold, Keith Emerson, and Alexandre Desplat). There is also music from other, non-Godzilla sources (including the theme for Magnificent Seven, as well as music composed by John Williams, Johnny Douglas, Barry Grey, Shunsuke Kukuchi, Kenji Yamamoto, Shiro Sagisu, Alan Menkin, Jerry Goldsmith, and Elmer Bernstein). Opening and Closing music *Opening Theme *End Credits *The Last Stand Opening Titles Character themes *Asuka's Theme *Rei's Theme *Rei vs Hikari *Rei's Crazy Schemes *Shinji and Asuka Monster themes Earth Defenders *Godzilla's Theme/Final End Credits *Anguirus' Theme *Rodan's Theme *Mothra's Song *King Caesar Fanfare *Varan's Theme EDF/NERV *MechaGodzilla 2's Theme *MOGUERA's Theme *Jet Jaguar's Theme *Mecha-King Ghidorah's Theme *Kiryu's Theme *Evangelion Launch Sequence Invadors *King Ghidorah's Theme *Gigan's Theme *Megalon's Leitmotif *Orga's Theme *MechaGodzilla's Theme *Hedorah's Theme Mutant Horde *Spacegodzilla's Theme *Battra's Theme *Titanosaurus' Theme *Zilla's Theme *Megaguirus' Theme *Kamacuras' Theme *Kumonga's Theme *Biollante's Theme *Ebirah's Theme Rogue Kaiju *Female Godzilla's Theme *King Kong's Theme Other Themes *Various EDF Marches *NERV March *Cthulhu's Theme *Atragon Theme *Super X-III Theme *Asuka vs The Cyborgs *Godzilla II Destroys Sydney *Poseidon Attacks!/Gamera's Theme *Pennies from Heaven - Louis Prima *Escorting the Convoy *Transport Plane Crash Landing *Nuclear Conclusion *Prelude to Final Battle *Alpha Squad Confronts Cthulhu *The Death of Cthulhu *The End (For Now) *Everybody Loves Somebody (End Credits for Revenge of Cthulhu) - Dean Martin *Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami *Incidental Music Medley 2015 Movie *Battle of the Fortress *The Death of Godzilla *The Mourning/Contemplating Surrender/Godzilla V Ascends *Turning the Tide *Godzilla V vs Invador Military *Hyper Breath *Defeat of the Invadors *End Credits *The Stinger (Mari's First Apperance) Shin Godzilla *Opening Credits *Ship Sinking *NERV Business *Destruction of Kobe *The Morning After *Godzilla I Emerges at Fukushima *Destruction of Fukushima-Daiichi *Godzilla I Restored *Godzilla I's Unfinished Business *The Evas Arrive *Tokyo Burns *Female Godzilla Arrives *Great-Great Grandson *Godzilla's Only Choice *The True Victim *End Credits Roars and other Sound Effects Earth Defenders *Godzilla IV *Godzilla V *Anguirus *Rodan *Mothra *King Caesar *Baragon *Varan Earth Defense Force *MechaGodzilla 2 *MOGUERA *Jet Jaguar *Mecha-King Ghidorah *Kiryu Invadors *King Ghidorah (1999) *King Ghidorah (2002-onward) *Gigan *Megalon *MechaGodzilla *Orga *Hedorah Mutant Horde *Spacegodzilla *Krystalak *Obsidius *Biollante *Battra *Ebirah *Kumonga *Kamacuras *Titanosaurus *Megaguirus *Zilla *Gabara Rogue Kaiju *Godzilla II *King Kong *Gorosaurus *Kamoebas *Gezora *Ganimes *Destoroyah Other Sound Effects *Geofront Klaxon *Explosion Sounds A *Explosion Sounds B *Evangelion Scramjets *Car Crash *Shinji's Bolt-Action Blaster *Asuka's Assault Rifle *Rei's Minigun *Godzilla's Footsteps *Godzilla I's Footsteps Category:Johnsonverse